Ghana’s Open Gutters and Flooding: Why the Ghanaian Diaspora Should Care

Accra, Ghana – For many Ghanaians living abroad, returning home often brings a familiar sight: open gutters running alongside roads, uncovered drains beside homes and businesses, and streets that can quickly become flooded after heavy rainfall.

For the Ghanaian diaspora, these drainage problems are more than an urban planning issue. They can directly affect family members, homes, businesses, investments and communities back home.

As Ghana continues to experience serious flooding in parts of the country, the question of whether more open gutters should be covered, redesigned or replaced with underground drainage systems is becoming increasingly important.

The government has taken steps to tackle flooding through drainage construction, dredging, desilting and the removal of structures obstructing waterways. However, the scale of Ghana’s drainage challenge means that government action alone may not be enough.

For millions of Ghanaians living overseas who continue to send money home, build houses, support relatives and invest in businesses, improving drainage infrastructure should be seen as part of protecting Ghana’s long-term development.

Why drainage matters to Ghanaians abroad

Many members of the Ghanaian diaspora have significant financial and emotional connections to Ghana.

Some send monthly remittances to support parents and relatives. Others have built houses, purchased land, established businesses or invested in rental properties.

Flooding can put all of these investments at risk.

A poorly designed or blocked drain can cause water to enter homes, damage vehicles, destroy household belongings and disrupt businesses. Repeated flooding can also reduce the value and attractiveness of property in affected communities.

For someone living in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Germany or elsewhere, dealing with flood damage from thousands of miles away can be particularly difficult.

A family member may have to arrange repairs, remove damaged belongings or deal with contractors while the property owner is overseas.

This makes effective drainage infrastructure an important issue for the diaspora, not just for local authorities.

Ghana’s open gutters: a familiar problem

Open gutters have long formed part of Ghana’s urban drainage system.

They can be effective when properly designed and maintained. However, problems arise when drains are too small, become filled with silt or are used as dumping grounds.

Plastic waste, household rubbish, sand and other debris can reduce the amount of water that drains are able to carry.

During heavy rainfall, water can then overflow onto roads and into surrounding properties.

Open drains also present safety concerns. Deep gutters beside busy roads can be dangerous for pedestrians, particularly children and older people.

For communities experiencing rapid development, the traditional open-gutter model may increasingly need to be reconsidered.

Should Ghana cover its gutters?

For some areas, the answer could be yes, but covering drains should be part of a wider engineering strategy.

Covered drains can provide several benefits.

They can make roads and pedestrian areas safer, reduce the amount of rubbish entering drainage channels and improve the appearance of urban communities.

They can also create additional space for pedestrian walkways and other infrastructure where land is limited.

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly has already replaced damaged and missing drain gratings in parts of the capital after identifying uncovered drains as safety hazards. Government agencies have also undertaken projects involving drain cover slabs and underground drainage systems.

But covering a drain does not automatically solve flooding.

A covered drain that is too small or blocked underneath can still overflow.

That is why Ghana needs to focus on capacity, engineering, maintenance and enforcement—not simply putting concrete slabs over existing gutters.

Underground drainage could offer a long-term solution

In densely populated areas, underground drainage may provide a more sustainable alternative.

Underground systems can move stormwater while allowing roads, pavements and public spaces to be used more efficiently.

The Ghanaian government has previously identified underground drainage as part of its response to flooding, including plans involving areas of Accra such as Nima.

For the diaspora, this type of infrastructure investment could have an important long-term benefit.

A properly designed drainage network can protect residential properties, commercial buildings and roads for decades, reducing the repeated costs associated with emergency flood repairs.

What government is doing

The Ghanaian government has increased its focus on flood mitigation, particularly in Greater Accra.

Recent measures have included dredging, desilting drains, clearing waterways and removing structures that obstruct natural watercourses.

In 2026, the Flood Mitigation Task Force began phased operations across several flood-prone areas of Accra, including parts of East Legon, Airport Hills, Weija and Oyarifa.

Government officials have also inspected drainage projects and monitored contractors responsible for flood-control infrastructure.

National clean-up exercises have been used to encourage communities to clear rubbish from drains, while government has also indicated plans for more regular nationwide clean-up activities.

These measures are important, but the challenge is ensuring that drainage improvements are maintained after construction and emergency interventions are completed.

The diaspora can play a role

Ghanaians abroad are already major contributors to Ghana’s economy through remittances, investment and business activity.

The diaspora therefore has an opportunity to contribute to discussions about the type of infrastructure Ghana needs for the future.

This does not mean that individual Ghanaians overseas should be expected to fund public drainage infrastructure.

Rather, diaspora organisations, professional associations, businesses and investors can support community infrastructure initiatives, advocacy and local development projects.

For example, diaspora groups could work with local authorities and communities to support projects involving:

• Drainage rehabilitation
• Community clean-up programmes
• Flood-risk awareness
• Waste-management initiatives
• Pedestrian safety around open drains
• Tree planting and environmental protection
• Monitoring of community infrastructure projects

Diaspora professionals in engineering, architecture, urban planning, environmental management and construction could also contribute technical expertise.

Protecting diaspora property investments

For Ghanaians abroad who own property in Ghana, drainage should become an important consideration before buying land or constructing a house.

A beautiful house in a flood-prone location can become a financial burden if the surrounding drainage system cannot cope with heavy rainfall.

Before investing, diaspora property owners should consider questions such as:

• Where does rainwater from the property go?
• Is the property located close to a watercourse or flood-prone area?
• Are there adequate drains around the neighbourhood?
• Are the drains regularly maintained?
• Has the area experienced flooding in previous years?
• Is nearby development blocking natural water channels?

These questions can help overseas investors make better decisions before committing significant amounts of money.

Ghana needs a national drainage strategy

The country’s drainage problem cannot be solved by individual projects alone.

Ghana needs a coordinated long-term approach that connects urban planning, drainage construction, waste management, road development and environmental protection.

In some communities, open drains may remain the most practical solution.

In others, particularly densely populated urban areas, covered or underground drainage may make more sense.

The important issue is that each drainage system should be designed according to the area’s population, development, rainfall patterns, terrain and future growth.

Maintenance must also be built into the system from the beginning.

A shared responsibility

Flooding is not solely a government problem.

Authorities have a responsibility to design and maintain effective drainage infrastructure and enforce planning and environmental regulations.

Residents also have a responsibility not to dump rubbish into drains or build on waterways.

Developers must comply with planning requirements.

And the diaspora has an important role to play as investors, homeowners, community members and advocates for sustainable development.

For Ghanaians living abroad, the condition of a drain in Accra, Kumasi, Tema or another community may seem like a local issue.

But when a flood damages a parent’s home, destroys a family business or threatens a property purchased with years of overseas earnings, the consequences are very personal.

The future of Ghana’s cities

Ghana’s cities are growing rapidly. More homes, businesses, roads and commercial developments are being built every year.

The country’s infrastructure therefore needs to grow with them.

Open gutters will continue to have a role in some communities, but Ghana should increasingly consider covered drains, underground drainage, larger stormwater channels and nature-based flood-management solutions where appropriate.

The government’s current efforts to dredge drains, remove obstructions and improve flood-control infrastructure are important steps.

The bigger challenge is turning these interventions into a long-term national drainage programme that protects communities and property.

For the Ghanaian diaspora, this is ultimately about more than gutters.

It is about protecting the homes they have built, the families they support, the businesses they invest in and the communities they continue to call home.

Ghanaians abroad may live thousands of miles away, but their connection to Ghana’s future remains strong. Building safer, better-planned and more resilient cities should therefore be a shared national priority—at home and across the diaspora.