Each year, the rainy season arrives with a familiar story in Accra: flooded streets, submerged homes, destroyed businesses, and, tragically, the loss of lives.

What should be a natural weather event has instead become a recurring national crisis. The question is simple but uncomfortable: who bears the blame? The people, the institutions, or both?

Recent reports indicate that Accra recorded about 140 millimetres of rainfall in a single day. This is among the highest levels experienced in several years. It also reflects how changing climatic conditions are increasingly shaping weather patterns.

However, human actions and institutional failures have turned heavy rainfall into disaster.

Government institutions responsible for physical planning, building permits, environmental protection, and drainage management carry a significant share of responsibility. In many cases, people continue to build on wetlands, waterways, and flood-prone areas.

Whether due to weak enforcement, political interference, or corruption, these decisions come at a high cost. Every permit issued in the wrong location puts lives, homes, and businesses at risk.

At the same time, citizens also play a major role in worsening the situation. Many people dispose of plastic waste indiscriminately, clogging drains and preventing stormwater from flowing freely.

Others knowingly build on waterways or ignore environmental regulations. These actions intensify flooding and increase the impact of heavy rainfall.

The claim that flooding is “driven by changing climatic conditions” should serve as a warning rather than an excuse. Climate change is real, and human activity contributes significantly to it.

Still, adaptation and mitigation are within our control. The real question is whether we will continue to revisit the same problems each year while repeating the same behaviours, or finally commit to meaningful change.

The path forward requires shared responsibility. Government agencies must enforce planning regulations without fear or favour, prevent construction on wetlands and waterways, strengthen drainage systems, and hold officials accountable for negligence or corruption.

Citizens, on the other hand, must dispose of waste responsibly, take part in community clean-up efforts, respect environmental laws, and support initiatives that protect ecosystems.

Flooding may not be fully preventable, especially as climate change increases rainfall intensity. However, its impact can be significantly reduced through responsible governance, environmental stewardship, and active citizenship.

The annual flooding in Accra should not become a permanent feature of life. It is a call to action for both institutions and the public. Until integrity, accountability, and environmental responsibility become shared priorities, the country will continue counting lives lost and properties destroyed after every major downpour.