President John Mahama says the government is assessing additional interventions as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s response to severe flooding, following the devastating impact of recent rains in several communities in Ghana.
Speaking during a National Security meeting on the aftermath of the disaster, the President said existing flood mitigation measures are also being reviewed.
“We are therefore reviewing the measures taken so far and assessing additional interventions that need to be implemented going forward,” he said.
The President added that while flooding has become a perennial issue in Ghana, the recent incident was among the worst the country has experienced, due to increasingly intense rainfall linked to climate change.
He reiterated that the Ghana Armed Forces have been tasked to support flood mitigation efforts, while the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and other state agencies continue to provide relief to affected communities.
The President explained that the government had already established a task force before the floods to undertake preventive measures, including dredging some waterways.
However, he said the amount of rainfall recorded during the recent downpour exceeded the capacity of the existing mitigation measures. In response, the President said the Minister for Finance has released funds from the contingency fund to support additional flood mitigation works.
While acknowledging that flooding cannot be completely eliminated, Mr. Mahama stressed that with improved planning, stronger mitigation measures, and collective action, Ghana can significantly reduce the impact of future floods.
