President John Dramani Mahama has appealed to traditional authorities to support the government’s efforts to tackle perennial flooding by preventing the allocation of lands on waterways, wetlands and other flood-prone areas.
Speaking during a courtesy call by the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, Members of Parliament from the region and government appointees at the Jubilee House on Tuesday, the President said chiefs have a critical role to play in promoting responsible land use and ensuring planning and sanitation regulations are observed in their communities.
Mahama noted that while heavy rainfall contributes to flooding, human activities including building on waterways, encroaching on wetlands, poor waste disposal and the blockage of drains have significantly worsened the situation.
“The problem of flooding is not caused by rainfall alone. It is worsened when we block drains, when we develop over waterways and when we build on wetlands,” he said.
The President urged traditional leaders not to approve land allocations in environmentally sensitive areas that serve as natural drainage channels.
“I therefore appeal to Nii mei, Naa mei, not to permit or support the allocation of lands in waterways, on wetlands, drainage reserves, buffer zones, or other flood-prone areas,” he stated.
He said the cooperation of chiefs is essential to sustaining the government’s flood mitigation measures and preventing future disasters.
The appeal comes in the wake of the devastating June 29 floods, which affected more than 38,000 people across the Greater Accra Region, displaced over 7,700 households and claimed at least 15 lives.
