The Minister for Works, Housing, and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has announced that the government is taking bold steps to address the perennial flooding challenges in Kumasi.

Speaking at a stakeholder validation workshop with the Ashanti Regional Coordinating Council and selected Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies within the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, the Minister said the initiative is part of President John Dramani Mahama’s Reset Agenda to improve urban resilience and safeguard livelihoods.

“In line with President Mahama’s reset agenda, we are taking decisive steps to provide long-term solutions to flooding in Kumasi,” Mr. Adjei said.

As part of the effort, the Ministry of Works and Housing has engaged two international consultancy firms—Deltares from the Netherlands and INES from Spain—to conduct technical studies that will guide the design of a comprehensive flood mitigation project for Kumasi and its environs.

Deltares will lead a basin-wide study of the Wiwi, Sisa, and Aboabo river basins, focusing on the root causes of flooding and recommending early-stage solutions as a foundation for long-term interventions. INES will carry out a flood vulnerability assessment in Asewase and Aboabo, two of the city’s most flood-prone and impoverished communities, with recommendations for targeted mitigation measures.

The findings from the studies will inform the design of the Kumasi Resilient Project, a major initiative aimed at protecting the city from recurring flood disasters.

A Senior Urban Development Specialist at the World Bank and Task Team Leader for the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) Project, Santiago Ezequiel Arias, pledged the Bank’s support, assuring continued collaboration with the government to strengthen flood resilience across Ghana.

Earlier in the day, the Minister and his delegation paid a courtesy call on the Ashanti Regional Minister, Dr. Frank Amoakohene.

He commended President Mahama for prioritising flood control in the Ashanti Region and pledged the support of Kumasi residents for the successful implementation of the project.

Participants at the workshop welcomed the initiative, expressing optimism that the planned studies and interventions would significantly reduce Kumasi’s vulnerability to flooding.