Flooding: Land tenure system in Ghana has issues – Dr Khalid

Professor Sharif Mahmud Khalid, Economic Adviser to the Vice‑President, has attributed Accra’s recurring flooding challenges to weaknesses in Ghana’s land‑tenure system, arguing that fragmented ownership and lax regulation encourage unplanned development in flood‑prone zones.

Speaking on JoyNews’ *Newsfile* on Saturday, 24th May, Dr Khalid warned that “until we confront the structural defects in how land is held, sold and regulated, drainage projects alone will never solve the problem”.

He noted that multiple customary interests often overlap with statutory leases, making enforcement of zoning laws virtually impossible.

“When every family head can grant a piece of floodplain to a developer, the state’s power to protect critical watercourses is fatally undermined,” he said, adding that a comprehensive review of land‑title registration and planning legislation is overdue.

Dr Khalid’s comments came in the wake of confirmation by the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) that five people died after torrential rain inundated parts of the Greater Accra Region on Sunday, 18 May.

NADMO’s Director of Inspectorate, Richard Amo Yartey, told Channel One TV that three of the fatalities occurred in the Ga East Municipality, while two were reported in Adenta.

“Inadequate drainage and uncontrolled urban growth continue to hamper flood‑control efforts,” Mr Yartey stated.

Linking those fatalities to land‑use failures, Dr Khalid insisted that piecemeal engineering works would remain “palliative at best” unless the government tackles tenure reform head‑on.

“We need a land system that prioritises collective safety over individual windfalls,” he concluded, urging Parliament to fast‑track long‑delayed amendments to the Land Act and empower local assemblies to enforce building codes.

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