By: Emmanuel Koranteng Asomani
The rains have begun to pour, and in the coming weeks, we should expect even more. In Ghana, this marks the onset of a familiar yet increasingly worrying season. The major rainy period, typically spanning April to July, often brings intense downpours that overwhelm infrastructure and trigger flooding. What is changing, however, is not just the rain itself, but its growing intensity, unpredictability, and impact, often driven by climate change and rapid urbanization.
Flooding has become one of the most frequent and disruptive natural hazards in Ghana, particularly in urban centres like Accra. Evidence shows that heavy rainfall events are becoming more intense, increasing the likelihood of recurrent disasters. In June 2024, heavy rains submerged major parts of Accra, disrupting transport and economic activity. A year later, in March 2025, flooding again caused widespread damage and fatalities, including deaths linked to collapsed structures and electrocution. These events are not isolated incidents but part of a recurring cycle that now defines the rainy season in major towns and cities in Ghana.
Climate change alone does not explain the scale of flooding in Ghana. Structural and human factors significantly compound the risks. Rapid urban growth has led to settlements expanding into flood-prone areas, while poor drainage systems and waste management challenges continue to obstruct waterways. In Accra, population pressure and unregulated construction have intensified vulnerability, turning heavy rains into recurring emergencies.
The Role of Technology in Preparedness
In the face of these escalating dangers, technology has become an essential tool for preparedness and response. Advances in meteorological systems now make it possible to forecast extreme weather with increasing accuracy. The Ghana Meteorological Agency regularly issues seasonal forecasts that warn of heavy rainfall and potential flooding, giving authorities and citizens a critical window to prepare. Mobile technologies further enhance this capacity, delivering real-time alerts via SMS and digital platforms. Geospatial tools and data modelling are also being used to map flood-prone areas, supporting more informed planning and emergency response.
Yet, the effectiveness of these technologies depends not only on their availability but also on the reliability of the information they deliver. During climate-related emergencies, misinformation spreads faster than the events themselves. Old videos of past floods are frequently reshared as current incidents, while exaggerated weather warnings circulate widely on social media. In some cases, unverified safety advice is shared, creating confusion, fueling panic, and undermining response efforts. The rise of artificial intelligence adds a new dimension to this challenge, as AI-generated content, including manipulated images and fabricated reports, can make disinformation during emergencies even more convincing and harder to detect.
Trusted Information Saves Lives
The importance of trusted information cannot be overstated. When heavy rains begin and flood risks rise, people must make rapid decisions about whether to stay, move, or evacuate. These decisions depend heavily on the accuracy, timeliness, and clarity of information. Institutions such as meteorological agencies, disaster management organisations like the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) and credible media outlets play a central role in ensuring the public receives consistent, reliable updates. Community radio stations, which remain a primary source of information for many rural and peri-urban populations in Ghana, are particularly vital in this regard, as they can deliver localised, language-appropriate alerts that reach communities with limited internet access.
Global and African Lessons
Lessons from other countries show how technology can save lives. In Bangladesh, historically one of the most flood and cyclone-prone countries, investments in early warning systems and community-based communication networks have drastically reduced disaster-related deaths. Advanced meteorological forecasting is combined with a Cyclone Preparedness Programme that disseminates alerts via SMS, radio, and trained volunteers even in remote areas. Mortality from cyclones has dropped dramatically as a result.
Closer to home, Kenya offers a compelling African example of technology-driven climate preparedness. The Kenya Meteorological Department (KMD) has embraced digital transformation to improve weather data precision and service delivery, reaching vulnerable communities through mobile applications and SMS alerts. Platforms like M-Kilimo, launched in 2022, deliver personalised weather forecasts to over 500,000 farmers across 33 counties, with studies showing a 22 per cent increase in crop yields among users during the variable 2023 growing season. Similarly, TaariFish, developed in partnership with the Kenya Maritime Authority and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission, provides detailed lake condition forecasts to fishing communities, contributing to a 45 per cent reduction in lake accidents since late 2022. Beyond technology alone, the Kenya Red Cross Society’s Flood Volunteer Network trains community volunteers in flood-prone counties to monitor river levels using simple gauges and smartphone apps, creating a “human sensor” network that supplements official monitoring stations. Together, these initiatives show that African countries can effectively leverage both digital tools and community engagement to strengthen climate resilience.
In the Netherlands, where much of the land lies below sea level, technology is embedded in long-term flood management. Sophisticated monitoring sensors, predictive modelling, and automated flood barriers work alongside detailed geospatial mapping to guide urban planning and emergency preparedness. This proactive approach demonstrates how technology can move beyond emergency response to create resilient communities.
Strengthening Ghana’s Resilience
For Ghana, the opportunity lies in strengthening and integrating similar approaches and ensuring that forecasts from the Ghana Meteorological Agency are not only accurate, but also widely accessible, trusted, and actionable at the community level. Strengthening early warning systems must go hand in hand with public awareness campaigns and media and information literacy (MIL) initiatives, equipping people, especially young people, with the skills to verify information before acting on or sharing it. Developing centralised platforms that provide credible, up-to-date information during emergencies can also reduce the spread of misinformation and improve response outcomes. Equally important is the role of fact-checking organisations and civil society groups in debunking false claims during emergencies. These actors can serve as a critical bridge between official sources and the public, helping to verify and amplify accurate information while flagging harmful rumours in real time.
As the rains continue, one reality remains clear: climate risks are no longer occasional disruptions but recurring features of everyday life. The difference between preparedness and disaster depends not only on infrastructure and emergency services but also on how effectively technology is used and how much trust people place in the information they receive. In the context of climate emergencies, information is not just knowledge, it is a form of protection, and often, a determinant of survival. Investing in these systems now, before the next disaster strikes, should be a policy choice.
# END #
