Environmental Engineer Dr. Juliet Ohemeng-Ntiamoah has called for a complete rethink of Ghana's drainage infrastructure, arguing that the country's recurring floods cannot be solve
The report indicates that environmental Engineer Dr. Juliet Ohemeng-Ntiamoah, has called for a complete rethink of Ghana’s drainage infrastructure, arguing that the country’s recurring floods cannot be solved through clean-up exercises or by attributing the problem primarily to indiscriminate waste disposal.
It further notes that speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, July 11, Dr. Ohemeng-Ntiamoah stated Ghana must adopt modern stormwater management practices that anticipate extreme weather events and address the structural weaknesses in the country’s drainage systems.
“My main concern is that through the commentary from the Presidency and other government officials during and after the flood, it appears that we are elevating indiscipline or indiscriminate waste disposal as a major cause of the flooding, and I beg to differ with that,” she said.
According to the environmental engineer, while poor waste disposal contributes to drainage challenges, it should not overshadow the more fundamental issues of inadequate infrastructure, poor urban planning and weak environmental protection.
Central to Dr. Ohemeng-Ntiamoah’s argument is the need to overhaul Ghana’s drainage infrastructure to meet the demands of changing weather patterns and rapid urbanisation.
She advocated for the adoption of the internationally recognised “100-year flood” design standard, under which drainage systems are engineered to accommodate floods that have a one per cent probability of occurring in any given year.
“We need to rethink our drainage system and be considering a 100-year flood,” she said.
“This means designing systems that have the capacity to handle floods that have a one per cent chance of happening, and many cities are adopting this principle.”
She explained that climate change is increasing the intensity of rainfall events around the world, making it necessary for cities to move beyond outdated drainage designs that can no longer cope with the volume of stormwater generated during heavy rains.
According to her, investing in resilient drainage infrastructure would significantly reduce flood risks and improve the country’s preparedness for future extreme weather events.
Dr. Ohemeng-Ntiamoah also questioned the effectiveness of periodic communal clean-up exercises as a long-term flood mitigation strategy.
Although she acknowledged that communal labour has value in promoting civic responsibility and community participation, she argued that it does little to address the systemic weaknesses in urban sanitation and stormwater management.
“I think we all agree that this clean-up is not a solution at all,” she said.
“Communal work is good for community building and ownership, but when it comes to waste management or improving sanitation in the city, this does not solve it.”
