Revive 1963 master plans to end flooding, says Ghana party

The United Party (UP) is calling on the Ghanaian government to urgently implement the 1963 master plans for major cities, arguing that persistent flooding is a direct result of decades of poor urban planning and a failure to find lasting solutions.

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The persistent flooding across the country is a clear sign of decades of poor urban planning and the absence of a lasting solution.

The party highlighted that annual floods, particularly in Accra, continue to cause loss of life, damage homes and businesses, and result in significant financial losses for residents. Newspaper reports from 1963 indicate that Accra was already facing serious flooding issues, yet successive governments have not permanently resolved the problem.

While the UP acknowledges that climate change and extreme weather events contribute to flooding globally, citing examples in Belgium, the US, and Southeast Asia, they argue that Ghana's situation is exacerbated by poor engineering, weak planning systems, and uncontrolled development. The party pointed to countries like the Netherlands and Singapore, which have effectively managed flooding through sound engineering, efficient drainage, and strict adherence to planning regulations, despite geographical challenges.

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Flooding had remained one of Ghana’s most pressing urban challenges for more than six decades.

The UP urged the government to revisit the master plans developed by British architects Professor Maxwell Fry and Jane Drew, as well as earlier colonial-era frameworks. These plans, originally covering Accra, Tema, Kumasi, and Sekondi-Takoradi, were reportedly abandoned after the 1966 coup and never fully implemented. The party noted that the Accra master plan was designed for a population of 400,000, far less than the current 2.5 million residents, necessitating a review and update to reflect current realities.

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Climate change could not be blamed entirely for Ghana’s situation, insisting that poor engineering, weak planning systems, and uncontrolled physical development had significantly worsened the problem.