The Ministry of Works and Housing has put developers, property owners, and local government officials on notice, vowing to take decisive enforcement action against those found encroaching on wetlands and waterways as Ghana braces for the approaching rainy season.
Sector Minister Kenneth Gilbert Adjei delivered the warning on Tuesday, April 28, following a firsthand inspection of a wetland site at Dansoman Otodjor in the Greater Accra Region — a visit that appeared to sharpen his resolve on what he described as a persistent and dangerous pattern of illegal land reclamation and construction on natural drainage corridors.
“We are going to come after those people building in the waterways. With the rains about to start, we will not allow what they are doing to cause flooding in Accra,” the Minister said, making clear that the government’s patience with offenders has run out.
“We will move in to remove all those structures they are trying to put up, and they will be penalised,” he added.
The Minister’s remarks cut to the heart of a problem that has long frustrated flood management efforts in the capital — the systematic occupation of wetlands and natural drainage paths by developers, which effectively neutralises government interventions before they can take effect.
Each rainy season, the consequences play out in flooded homes, blocked drains, and devastated communities, with Accra’s most vulnerable neighbourhoods bearing the heaviest burden.
Critically, Mr Adjei extended his warning beyond private developers to include the local assemblies themselves. Officials found approving building permits for developments on wetlands and waterways, he cautioned, will face legal consequences — a signal that the crackdown is intended to be systemic rather than merely cosmetic.
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“Those giving unnecessary permits for buildings on waterways will be identified, and the law will deal with them,” he warned, putting assembly officials firmly in the crosshairs of the enforcement drive.
The Minister stressed that preserving the integrity of natural drainage systems is not optional — it is a non-negotiable condition for any serious flood prevention strategy. With the rainy season imminent, he indicated that authorities will act swiftly and without hesitation against structures that pose a risk to communities.
The enforcement push forms part of a broader government effort to strengthen Ghana’s flood resilience ahead of what is typically one of the most disruptive periods of the year for low-lying urban communities across the country.