President John Dramani Mahama has appealed to traditional authorities to support government’s efforts to address recurring flooding by preventing the allocation of lands for development on waterways, wetlands, and other flood-prone areas.

He said the involvement of chiefs is crucial in promoting proper land-use practices and ensuring that sanitation and planning regulations are enforced within communities.

President Mahama made the call on Tuesday, July 21, when the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, Members of Parliament from the region, and government appointees paid a courtesy call on him at the Jubilee House.

He noted that while heavy rainfall remains a major contributor to flooding, human activities such as the blockage of drains, construction on waterways, poor waste disposal, and weak enforcement of planning regulations have significantly worsened the situation.

“The problem of flooding is not caused by rainfall alone. It is worsened when we block drains, when we develop over waterways and when we build on wetlands,” he said.

He urged chiefs to help sustain the government’s flood control measures by discouraging developments that obstruct natural water channels and promoting proper sanitation practices within their traditional areas.

“I therefore appeal to Nii mei, Naa mei, not to permit or support the allocation of lands in waterways, on wetlands, drainage reserves, buffer zones, or other flood-prone areas,” he added.

His appeal follows the June 29 floods which affected more than 38,000 people across the Greater Accra Region, displaced over 7,700 households and claimed at least 15 lives