A new analysis by the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project has revealed that about 16% out of the 25 meters of designated drainage buffer zones across selected assemblies in the Greater Accra Region have been lost to encroachment, a development officials say is worsening flooding in the capital.
Presenting findings from the buffer encroachment assessment on Friday, July 3, the Coordinator of the GARID project and member of the Post-Flood Mitigation Committee, Kojo Ohene Safo, said the study reviewed developments along water bodies across 16 assemblies, focusing on a 25-metre buffer zone on either side of drains as required by law.
He explained that the assessment, conducted using comparative data between 2022 and 2026, shows a steady rise in structures built within protected drainage corridors, with some areas recording significant increases in unauthorised developments.
In the Ablekuma Central area, for instance, the study identified six structures within the buffer zone in 2022, although no new developments were recorded in the most recent assessment period. However, Ohene Safo noted that this case was an exception rather than the norm.
He said other densely populated areas showed sharp increases. In Ayawaso Central, structures within the buffer zone rose from 793 in 2022 to 801 in 2026, while Ayawaso East increased from 337 to 494 over the same period. Ga Central also recorded an increase from 54 additional structures between 2023 and 2025, bringing the total to 2,329 structures in the analysed stretch.
Further increases were recorded in other assemblies, including Krowor, which rose from 178 to 295 structures, Okai Koi North from 596 to 729, and Ablekuma West from 904 to 1,293. Ga North also saw a significant rise from 1,049 to 2,261 structures, while Ga South increased from 746 to 871.
According to the GARID coordinator, even smaller sections of some assemblies showed steady encroachment, including La Dade-Kotopon, which rose from 544 to 638 structures, and Adentan, from 171 to 214.
Ohene Safo stressed that across the sampled areas, a total of 10,497 structures were recorded within drainage buffers, warning that the trend represents a significant breach of planning regulations designed to protect waterways.
“And so, when we have the volume of rain that we do, the water doesn’t have a natural path. That will inevitably impact people it will affect them,” he stated.
