In her new book Climate Injustice, UK-based climate scientist Dr. Friederike Otto urges us to ask: Who suffers most when extreme weather strikes?
Heavy rains and destructive floods are increasingly common in African cities like Accra, Ghana, and Durban, South Africa. But the impacts are not evenly felt. Do wealthy residents in gated estates endure the same hardships as the poor living in densely populated, poorly serviced communities?
The answer depends heavily on economic, social, and political realities. While Ghana and South Africa are among Africa’s few liberal democracies, constitutional rights have not shielded the urban poor from the disproportionate effects of climate disasters. Decision-makers often live far from flood-prone neighborhoods, leaving the most vulnerable with little support.
Floods: A Growing Urban Nightmare
Like much of West Africa, Ghana faces severe flooding during the rainy season. In 2022 and 2023, floods destroyed homes, damaged infrastructure, disrupted businesses, and ruined farmlands leaving behind heavy human and economic losses.
These disasters were fueled by above-average rainfall intensified by climate change, but were still widely described as “natural hazards.” Labeling them this way shifts blame away from systemic governance failures such as poor planning, weak enforcement of building codes, and mismanagement of financial resources that amplify the damage.
Communities already grappling with poverty and poor infrastructure are hit the hardest. Residents of slums such as Nima, Old Fadama, Agbogbloshie, and Jamestown in Accra, or Aboabo, Ayigya Zongo, and Oforikrom in Kumasi, face chronic problems like weak drainage systems and poor waste management. For them, a heavy downpour is not just an inconvenience it can mean losing homes, livelihoods, and even lives.
Health Inequalities Worsened by Climate Change
Flooding in deprived communities often triggers outbreaks of cholera, typhoid, and diarrheal diseases, which disproportionately affect children, the elderly, and the poor. Accessing healthcare is another struggle. Facilities are few and far between, and in many cases, poor roads rendered impassable by rains make reaching them nearly impossible.
This uneven distribution of healthcare reinforces inequalities. Climate change is therefore not just an environmental crisis it is also a driver of worsening health inequities in Ghana. Researchers, health educators, and policymakers must urgently develop strategies that integrate climate impacts into healthcare planning.
Northern Ghana: Agriculture at Risk
Beyond the cities, climate change is devastating rural livelihoods. Erratic rainfall in northern Ghana is crippling agriculture and deepening food insecurity. Matters are made worse each year when Burkina Faso’s Bagre Dam is spilled, flooding farmlands downstream in Ghana. With climate change making rainfall heavier and more unpredictable, dam overflows have become more frequent and destructive.
The result? Thousands of farmers lose crops, pushing many to migrate to urban centers. Unfortunately, most end up in already overcrowded slums in Accra and Kumasi, compounding the cycle of vulnerability.
What Needs to Be Done
Addressing Ghana’s climate crisis requires bold political will and systemic change. Key priorities include:
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Investing in resilient infrastructure: Robust drainage and waste management systems in flood-prone areas.
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Enforcing urban planning regulations: Ending unchecked construction on waterways and wetlands.
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Strengthening healthcare access: Expanding facilities in deprived areas and broadening NHIS coverage.
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Improving rural resilience: Supporting farmers with climate-smart agricultural practices and long-term solutions for Bagre Dam spillage.
Ultimately, climate change is exposing and worsening the inequalities embedded in Ghana’s governance and development systems. Protecting the most vulnerable requires moving beyond rhetoric to meaningful action that prioritizes inclusive urban planning, fair resource distribution, and climate-conscious policymaking.
Reported By: Theophilus Nii Laryea
Executive Producer (Express News Ghana)