President John Dramani Mahama has directed the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and other relevant state agencies to prepare a comprehensive assessment of Ghana's flood situation.

This comes after the recent flooding that affected several parts of the country, particularly Accra.

The President said the presentation should identify critical flood-prone communities, restricted waterways and other vulnerable areas to guide both immediate interventions and long-term measures to tackle the perennial flooding problem.

President Mahama issued the directive on Tuesday, June 9, shortly after returning to Ghana from an official visit to Belarus.

The directive comes after heavy and prolonged rains triggered widespread flooding across parts of the Greater Accra Region and other communities, causing extensive damage to property and disrupting livelihoods.

According to the President, this year's rainy season has been particularly severe, with sustained rainfall since May worsening flooding in many parts of the country.

He attributed part of the recurring challenge to human activities, particularly the construction of buildings in waterways and flood-prone areas, and questioned how some of such developments received official approval.

“But some of the houses have building permits. How did they get them? So we have to do some soul-searching,” he said.

The President stressed that the country must confront the underlying causes of flooding through stricter enforcement of planning regulations and decisive action against encroachment on waterways.

He also urged state institutions to move away from reacting only after disasters occur, calling instead for proactive planning and sustained interventions.

“We shouldn’t be like the vulture who says he will repair his roof when the rain stops,” he said, adding that government must pursue lasting solutions instead of temporary responses whenever flooding occurs.

President Mahama instructed NADMO and the relevant agencies to work together to map all restricted waterways nationwide and recommend corrective actions based on their findings.

He further called for intensified public education on environmental management and flood prevention, urging the Government Communications Department and other public institutions to step up awareness campaigns.

The President said a combination of effective public education, stronger enforcement of planning laws and improved infrastructure planning would be essential to reducing Ghana's flood risk and preventing future disasters.