The Chief Executive Officer(CEO) of Koans Estate, Mr. Kofi Anokye, has blamed Ghana’s recurring flooding challenges on failures in urban planning, poor enforcement of regulations and unsustainable development practices.
Speaking in an exclusive interview amid recent torrential rains that have caused widespread flooding, loss of lives, displacement and destruction of businesses, Mr. Anokye argued that the situation is largely preventable and should not be viewed solely as a natural disaster.
According to him, inadequate drainage systems, poor maintenance of existing infrastructure, indiscriminate waste disposal and the construction of buildings along waterways have significantly worsened the impact of flooding across the country.
“The floods we experience today are largely preventable.
When cities expand without proper planning and environmental responsibility, nature eventually responds.
Flooding is the price society pays for ignoring sound development principles,” he said.
The real estate executive warned that persistent flooding poses a major threat to Ghana’s economic growth, affecting property values, increasing repair costs for homeowners and discouraging investor confidence in vulnerable areas.
Mr. Anokye noted that although Ghana has building regulations and planning laws, weak enforcement has allowed many developments that put communities at risk.
He called for a stronger approach to flood prevention, including a total ban on construction on waterways, the modernisation and regular desilting of drainage networks, strict compliance with development standards and increased collaboration between government and private sector actors.
“Regulations without enforcement cannot protect lives,” he stressed, adding that every approved development must meet environmental requirements because a single poorly planned project can expose an entire community to flooding.
Mr. Anokye also advocated for the use of Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) to support the financing of large-scale drainage projects, arguing that private sector investment could bring in the expertise, technology and resources needed to build climate-resilient cities.
He further called for the immediate removal of illegal structures located in flood-prone areas, insisting that economic benefits should not take precedence over public safety.
The Koans Estate CEO advised prospective homeowners to conduct thorough checks on land documents and flood histories before purchasing properties to avoid future losses.
He emphasized that flood resilience must become a key priority in Ghana’s development agenda, describing investment in sustainable urban planning as essential for protecting lives, strengthening the economy and securing the future of Ghana’s cities.
