World Bank supports Ghana to improve flood resilience for 2.5 million people

The Government of Ghana today received $150 million in additional financing for the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project (GARID) from the World Bank to improve flood risk management and solid waste management for over 2.5 million people in the Odaw River Basin of the Greater Accra Region.

Urban floods have become more frequent and of higher intensity due to fast-growing development and occupation of flood risk areas, inadequate and unmaintained drainage systems, and solid waste accumulation along waterways.

This project will continue to prioritize investments that enhance resilience to flood risks and improve solid waste management systems in targeted communities of the Odaw River Basin area.

It will provide additional resources to continue financing the structural measures to increase the detention capacity for flood mitigation in the basin area

The GARID project, through investments supported under the Climate Resilient Drainage and Flood Mitigation Measures component, will also provide significant climate change adaptation benefits

The interventions will improve drainage infrastructure, establish an early warning system, and promote better solid waste management in flood-prone, low-income communities.

“The planned flood mitigation infrastructure investments under GARID will directly reduce the flooding risks for urbanizing and economically productive areas of the Greater Accra Region, limiting the direct flood hazards on more than 138,000 people,” said Catherine Lynch, Senior Urban Specialist and Task Team Leader for GARID project.