June 29 floods exposed weaknesses in Ghana’s environmental sanitation system – Ayariga

The June 29 floods exposed deep-rooted weaknesses in Ghana’s environmental sanitation system and highlighted the need for sustained investment in waste management infrastructure, Minister for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs Mahama Ayariga has said.

Speaking at the Government Accountability Series on Monday, October 5, Mr Ayariga said torrential rains affected seven regions and generated large volumes of debris, silt and flood-related waste.

He said accumulated solid waste in drains, culverts and waterways obstructed stormwater flows and reduced drainage capacity in several urban communities.

In response, President John Dramani Mahama established a Post-Flood Mitigation Committee and declared July 10 and 11 as National General Cleaning Days.

Mr Ayariga said one of the major interventions was the reactivation of six waste transfer stations in the Greater Accra Region that had remained largely dormant for close to a decade.

“A major feature of the response was the strategic reactivation of six waste transfer stations in the Greater Accra Region which had remained largely dormant for close to a decade, following the directives of His Excellency the President,” he said.

According to him, the intervention helped reduce the immediate sanitation burden but also brought to the fore persistent challenges within the sector.

These include inadequate waste management infrastructure, weak enforcement of sanitation by-laws, fragmented institutional responsibilities and inadequate financing.

Mr Ayariga said the experience from the floods underscored the need for sustained investment and stronger systems to improve waste management and reduce the risk of sanitation-related flooding.