Accra has received hundreds of millions of dollars in international funding for flood control, sanitation and urban water infrastructure over the past two decades, yet the capital continues to experience devastating floods that claim lives, displace residents and destroy property almost every rainy season.
A review by JoyNews Research of official records from major development partners has revealed that Ghana secured approximately $990 million in multilateral financing between 2000 and 2024 to improve flood resilience, sanitation and water infrastructure.
Out of the total amount, about $723 million was specifically directed at projects in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), making the capital the largest beneficiary of flood-related investments.
The findings have renewed concerns over the effectiveness of flood mitigation measures and the utilisation of funds committed to tackling one of the country’s most persistent urban challenges.
According to the report, the financing came from institutions including the World Bank, the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the African Water Facility through 11 major projects implemented over a 24-year period.
The projects covered a broad range of interventions, including drainage improvement, sanitation infrastructure, urban water supply and flood resilience programmes aimed at reducing the impact of heavy rainfall and improving living conditions in vulnerable communities.
The earliest funding identified dates back to 2000 when the World Bank approved $21.9 million under the second phase of the Community Water and Sanitation Programme to improve water supply and sanitation in rural and small-town communities.
In 2004, the World Bank approved a $120 million Urban Water Project, comprising $103 million from the Bank, $5 million from the Nordic Development Fund and $12 million from the Government of Ghana, to expand piped water access and strengthen the operations of the Ghana Water Company Limited. The project later received an additional $50 million in 2012.
Another $75 million World Bank credit was approved in 2010 to support the Sustainable Rural Water and Sanitation Project across six regions.
While some of the investments were nationwide in scope, JoyNews Research noted that projects targeted specifically at Greater Accra accounted for about 73 per cent of the total financing.
Despite these investments, Accra remains highly vulnerable to flooding, with clogged drains, uncontrolled development on waterways, poor waste management and weak enforcement of planning regulations continuing to undermine flood prevention efforts.
Urban planning experts have repeatedly argued that financing alone cannot solve the flooding crisis unless infrastructure projects are properly maintained, illegal structures on waterways are removed and development control regulations are strictly enforced.
The findings come at a time when concerns over climate change and increasingly intense rainfall continue to heighten the risk of flooding in the capital, prompting renewed calls for greater accountability, better project implementation and sustained investment in resilient urban infrastructure.
