When Accra Flooded: How structural vulnerabilities and climate dynamics turned heavy rain into disaster

The rains began late on Sunday and by dawn on Monday, June 29, large parts of Ghana's capital had been transformed into a landscape of submerged roads, stranded vehicles and flooded homes.

 

What started as a downpour quickly escalated into another devastating flood event, bringing daily life in Accra to a standstill.

 

At least three people reportedly lost their lives in the Alajo community in suspected electrocution incidents after floodwaters engulfed their homes. Other areas reported unconfirmed cases of flood-related deaths and missing persons.

 

Across the city, hundreds of residents watched helplessly as muddy water swept through homes, shops and warehouses, destroying property, household belongings and business inventories.

 

Commercial activity ground to a halt as major roads became impassable, leaving commuters stranded for hours.

 

As the situation worsened, the Ministry of the Interior issued a public safety advisory urging residents to stay away from flooded roads, avoid attempting to cross fast-moving water and report emergencies to the appropriate authorities. Electricity supply to some communities was also disconnected as a precaution to prevent further electrocution incidents.

 

Emergency response teams from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ghana National Fire Service and other security agencies were deployed across affected communities to rescue trapped residents and assist families displaced by the floods.

 

Earlier in the day, the Ghana Meteorological Agency had forecast widespread thunderstorms and rainfall across southern Ghana, warning that a weak to moderate rainstorm moving westward along the Togo-Benin coastline would bring increased cloud cover and unstable weather conditions.

 

Yet, while the rain triggered the flooding, experts say the disaster itself reflects a much deeper problem.

 

More than a rainfall event

 

Accra's recurring floods are no longer simply a consequence of heavy rainfall. They are the result of structural vulnerabilities interacting with changing climate dynamics.

 

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme rainfall events, but the scale of destruction witnessed after each storm is largely determined by how the city has been planned, developed and managed over time.

 

In essence, heavy rainfall becomes a disaster only when urban systems are unable to cope.

 

Over the past four decades, Accra has experienced rapid urban expansion. Housing estates, commercial developments and roads have spread across the city, often outpacing investments in drainage and other critical infrastructure.

 

The replacement of natural landscapes with concrete roads, pavements and rooftops has significantly reduced the ground's ability to absorb rainwater. Instead, stormwater rushes across hard surfaces, overwhelming drains and increasing the likelihood of flash floods.

 

Compounding the problem is the widespread encroachment on wetlands, floodplains, river buffers and natural drainage channels.

 

These ecosystems once acted as natural reservoirs, absorbing excess rainfall and slowing runoff before releasing water gradually into rivers and streams. As urban development has consumed these spaces, much of the city's natural flood protection has disappeared.

 

Accra's drainage network is also struggling to cope with increasing volumes of runoff.

 

Many drains are undersized or poorly connected, while years of inadequate maintenance have left numerous channels heavily silted or blocked.

The city's persistent challenge with indiscriminate waste disposal has further reduced drainage capacity. Plastic waste and other refuse clog drains and culverts, preventing stormwater from flowing freely during intense rainfall.

 

Urban planners have also pointed to weak enforcement of land-use regulations. Unauthorized developments, informal settlements in flood-prone areas and inadequate development control continue to increase the number of people and properties exposed to flood hazards.

 

Climate change is intensifying the risk

 

Accra's climate naturally features two rainy seasons—the major season from March to July and a minor season between September and November.

However, climate variability is making rainfall increasingly unpredictable. Storms are becoming more intense, rainfall is falling within shorter periods and flash flooding is occurring more frequently.

 

Climate scientists warn that global warming is expected to further increase the intensity of extreme precipitation events, raise urban temperatures through the heat island effect and create greater uncertainty in seasonal rainfall patterns.

 

Although climate change is not the sole cause of flooding in Accra, it amplifies existing weaknesses in urban planning, infrastructure and environmental management.

 

The latest floods underscore the need for a shift from reactive disaster response to proactive climate resilience.

 

Experts argue that reducing flood risk will require integrated urban planning that protects wetlands, floodplains and waterways while investing in modern stormwater drainage infrastructure.

 

Nature-based solutions—including urban forests, rain gardens, permeable pavements and wetland restoration—could help cities absorb more rainfall naturally instead of allowing water to rush into already overwhelmed drains.

 

Equally important are stronger enforcement of planning regulations, improved solid waste management and infrastructure designed using updated rainfall projections and flood-risk mapping.

 

Early warning systems and better community preparedness can also ensure weather forecasts translate into timely action that saves lives.

 

As Accra counts the cost of yet another flood disaster, one lesson remains clear: the city cannot control when it rains, but it can determine how well it prepares for the next storm.

 

Until structural vulnerabilities are addressed alongside the realities of a changing climate, heavy rainfall will continue to expose the fault lines in Ghana's rapidly growing capital.

 

by Kofi Adu Domfeh 

Ghana close to issuing forest carbon credits under J-REDD+ programme – Minister

Ghana has announced it is close to issuing forest carbon credits under its ambitious J-REDD+ programme, as ministers and senior officials gathered in London with COP30 and COP31 leaders to accelerate action on forests ahead of the 2030 deadline to halt and reverse forest loss.

 

Ghana’s flagship Jurisdictional Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and Degradation (J-REDD+) framework transitions traditional REDD+ projects into large-scale, national carbon credit programs. By focusing on entire ecological zones and linking climate finance directly to sustainable agriculture and livelihoods, it aims to protect forests while directly benefiting rural communities

 

Speaking at the event, Deputy Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Yusif Sulemana, called for a trusted international framework for jurisdictional forest carbon credits, highlighting the programme's potential to scale investment into high-quality forest and land-use mitigation activities that deliver climate benefits while improving livelihoods.

 

The event dubbed “From Glasgow to Addis Ababa: FCLP and COP Presidencies Building Momentum on Forests from COP30 to COP31,” focused on maintaining forests as a priority through the next phase of international climate cooperation, from COP30 in Brazil through COP31 in Türkiye.

 

Ministers from Nigeria, Indonesia, and Ghana, shared a range of national initiatives and priorities, including recent commitments related to the Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment, sustainable bioeconomy initiatives, and high-integrity forest carbon credits. 

 

Nigeria’s Environment Minister, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, highlighted the Nigerian government’s work across a range of forest initiatives including the Great Green Wall and the implementation of a National Clean Cooking Policy and re-affirmed Nigeria’s support for the Intergovernmental Land Tenure Commitment. 

 

Minister of Forestry of Indonesia, Raja Juli Antoni, underlined the importance of protecting tropical peatlands and mangroves through the establishment of international centres for cooperation. He noted that mangroves are of the most effective nature-based solutions available, delivering climate mitigation and sustainable livelihoods. Indonesia is home to 3.4 million hectares of mangroves – roughly 23 per cent of the world’s mangrove ecosystems. 

 

The event also featured new commitments on land tenure rights from Peru and Brazil and a major forest finance pledge from Norway, underscoring growing momentum behind forest protection, sustainable land use and climate action ahead of COP30 in Brazil and COP31 in Türkiye.

 

The gathering underscored the growing importance of forests across the international climate agenda, bringing together representatives from multiple COP cycles to discuss how political leadership, finance, and implementation can help deliver the goal of halting and reversing forest loss by 2030.

 

"The ‘From Glasgow to Addis Ababa’ moment is key to sustaining the shift from ambition to implementation on forests. It allows us to advance the Roadmap to Halt and Reverse Deforestation and Forest Degradation by 2030, keeping political momentum alive and ensuring forests stay at the heart of climate action at the scale and speed required," said COP30 President, André Aranha Corrêa do Lago.

 

COP31 President, Murat Kurum, Minister of Environment, Urbanization and Climate Change of Türkiye, also said “the COP31 Action Agenda is designed to strengthen partnerships, advance practical solutions, support implementation efforts, and create a lasting legacy.

 

“To this end, we have identified ten priority themes under the COP31 Action Agenda. These themes were not selected merely as areas of discussion; rather, they reflect the most pressing global challenges, the implementation needs of Parties, and the areas where COP31 can generate tangible and enduring impact”.

 

 

Ghana's cocoa future at risk without producer-centred climate policies — Study

A new study has called for a major rethinking of climate adaptation and sustainability policies in Ghana's cocoa sector, arguing that future investments must focus not only on protecting cocoa trees and boosting production but also on strengthening the resilience of cocoa producers.

 

The call was made at a gathering in Accra to discuss findings from the study titled "Towards a Cocoa Producer-Focused Climate Policy in Côte d'Ivoire and Ghana."

 

The research, conducted by scholars from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) and partner institutions such as Harvard University, the Institute for Cacao and Chocolate Research and the Institut National Polytechnique Félix Houphouët-Boigny (INP-HB) in Côte d'Ivoire, argues that current climate adaptation strategies remain overly focused on cocoa production while paying insufficient attention to cocoa producers.

 

A Research and Policy Breakfast attracted researchers, policymakers, cocoa cooperatives, industry actors, development partners, civil society organisations, and representatives from Ghana's cocoa sector.

 

Presenting the findings, Dr. Albert Arhin of KNUST's Institute for Rural Development and Innovation Studies (IRDIS) noted that climate adaptation efforts in the cocoa sector have traditionally focused on increasing yields, controlling pests and diseases, and improving environmental sustainability.

 

He argued that while these interventions remain important, they are no longer sufficient on their own.

 

"Climate change is not only affecting cocoa trees. It is affecting the people who grow cocoa. Farmers are reporting rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, declining yields, increasing production costs, physical exhaustion, and growing uncertainty about the future of cocoa farming. These human dimensions of climate change require much greater policy attention," said Dr. Arhin.

 

The research was undertaken across cocoa-growing communities in Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire and combined household surveys, focus group discussions, in-depth interviews, and participatory research methods to capture farmers' experiences and perspectives.

 

According to the findings, many cocoa farmers are experiencing increasing difficulty managing climate-related shocks. Farmers reported working fewer hours during periods of extreme heat, facing rising labour demands, and struggling to implement adaptation measures due to financial constraints. Some also expressed concerns about whether younger generations would remain interested in cocoa farming under increasingly challenging conditions.

 

The study comes at a critical time for Ghana's cocoa sector. National production has declined in recent years, falling from historical averages of around 800,000 tonnes to approximately 600,000 tonnes. While several factors contribute to this trend, including pests, diseases, ageing farms, and rising production costs, farmers consistently identified climate change as a major source of growing vulnerability.

 

The researchers also found that many existing interventions, including price-based measures, have limited effectiveness when climate-related production losses continue to reduce the volume of cocoa available for sale.

 

Although initiatives such as the Living Income Differential (LID) have increased cocoa prices, many farmers continue to struggle with declining productivity and rising costs.

 

The policy brief launched at the event proposes an Eight-Point Agenda for a Producer-Centred Climate Policy. The recommendations include shifting from yield-centred policies towards producer-centred resilience, integrating climate adaptation with income support, investing in climate-smart water management, strengthening adaptation financing, improving farmer participation in decision-making, and incorporating farmer wellbeing into sustainability frameworks.

 

The researchers argue that the long-term competitiveness of Ghana's cocoa sector will increasingly depend on the resilience of its producers.

 

"Healthy and resilient farmers are the foundation of healthy and productive cocoa farms. If climate change continues to erode farmer health, labour productivity, and adaptive capacity, then cocoa production itself will become increasingly vulnerable," Dr Arhin explained.

 

Participants at the policy breakfast welcomed the findings and engaged in discussions on how government agencies, COCOBOD, the private sector, development partners, and research institutions can work together to strengthen resilience across cocoa-growing communities.

 

The study challenges conventional approaches that primarily view climate adaptation through the lens of productivity and environmental protection. Instead, it calls for a broader understanding of resilience that includes health, livelihoods, labour conditions, access to finance, water security, and social wellbeing.

 

The research was supported by the Harvard University Center for African Studies through the Motsepe Presidential Research Accelerator Fund for Africa. The broader research team includes Dr Carla Martin (Harvard University), Dr Albert Arhin (KNUST), Jose Lopez Ganem (Institute for Cocoa and Chocolate Research), Dr Amanda Berlan (University of Leicester), Richard Tetteh (KNUST), Dr Michael Ehis Odijie (University of Oxford), and Jean-Luc Kouassi (Côte d'Ivoire).

 

The researchers hope the findings will contribute to ongoing policy debates and encourage greater investment in producer resilience as a pathway to securing the future of Ghana's cocoa economy.

 

As climate pressures intensify across West Africa, the study concludes that safeguarding Ghana's cocoa future will require more than protecting cocoa farms. It will also require protecting the farmers who sustain them.