Building resilience: Smart planning prevents floods in Ghana

Extreme weatherevents are becoming more frequent across Africa. The climate is changing, mainly due to the widespread burning of fossil fuels in our vehicles and factories. Communities in northeast Ghana have experienced repeated floods. But experts from Ghana’s disaster management agency say that while climate change has increased rainfall, floods could still be prevented with better road construction and adequate drainage. Communities are now demanding that local contractors return to do a better job on their roads. Meanwhile, volunteers are being trained in flood rescue, and urgent repairs are needed on a dangerously eroded dam. With lives and livelihoods at stake, Ghana is learning that disaster resilience requires more than climate awareness—it demands better planning and engineering.