The government has announced an extensive demolition and restoration exercise targeting buildings encroaching on six wetlands in Accra, as part of a broader intervention to rebuild the capital’s natural drainage systems and reduce the recurring flood disasters that have repeatedly devastated the city.
The decision comes in the immediate aftermath of Monday’s catastrophic flooding, which left 10 people dead, displaced 7,761 households, and affected thousands of residents across multiple communities in the Greater Accra Region, intensifying national pressure for structural and long term solutions to the crisis.
Addressing Parliament on Tuesday, June 30, the Deputy Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, stated that the restoration of wetlands is now central to government’s flood mitigation strategy, stressing that difficult enforcement measures will be required to reverse years of unchecked urban expansion into protected water systems.
She explained that Accra’s wetlands were originally designed to function as natural flood control zones, absorbing excess rainfall and slowing down runoff during periods of heavy downpours. However, she noted that widespread encroachment over the years has severely compromised their capacity, contributing significantly to the scale and speed of flooding witnessed in the capital.
“Mr Speaker, we have about six wetlands that have to be restored in Accra alone. The reason we have to do this is that we need spaces where we can hold water. The rivers must be given their room and the streams must be given their space,” she told Parliament.
According to her, rapid urban development and illegal construction on wetlands have disrupted the natural flow of water, increasing surface runoff and overwhelming drainage infrastructure during heavy rainfall events. She warned that without urgent corrective action, Accra will continue to experience worsening flood disasters.
She further indicated that individuals who have encroached on wetland areas, including those who acquired land through questionable transactions, should prepare for enforcement action as government moves to reclaim and repurpose these ecological zones for public protection.
“So those wetlands that have been encroached upon for those who have encroached and for those who sold the lands, please find a way of getting your money back, because the government is going to take them and use them for the right purpose,” she stated.
The Deputy Minister emphasised that the demolition exercise, alongside improved enforcement of planning regulations and sustained investment in drainage infrastructure, forms part of a long term national strategy aimed at strengthening flood resilience and protecting lives and property.
The announcement reflects a broader shift in government policy following the scale of destruction caused by the latest floods, which have reignited public debate over urban planning enforcement, environmental degradation, and the urgent need to restore natural water systems that have long been compromised by unchecked development in the capital.
