EPA CEO Engages Western Regional Minister on Flood Mitigation and Waterway Restoration

EPA CEO Engages Western Regional Minister on Flood Mitigation and Waterway Restoration

The Chief Executive Officer of the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Professor Nana Ama Brown Klutse, paid a courtesy call on the Western Regional Minister, Hon. Joseph Nelson, to discuss recent floods in Samreboi and other flood-prone communities in the Region.

Hon. Joseph Nelson described the floods as one of the most devastating disasters in recent times, causing major damage to homes, businesses, farmlands, and public infrastructure. He said the Region’s immediate priority is practical interventions for relief, plus long-term flood prevention. He identified indiscriminate building on waterways and wetlands, poor drainage, and weak enforcement of planning regulations as key causes, and called for stronger collaboration among government institutions.

Professor Nana Ama Brown Klutse reaffirmed EPA’s commitment to work with the Western Regional Coordinating Council, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, and other stakeholders. She noted that EPA assessments found many river channels heavily silted and obstructed by sand deposits and illegal mining, which disrupt water flow and increase flood risk.

She outlined a proposed intervention that goes beyond routine dredging to include: reopening natural river channels, protecting wetlands as natural flood retention systems, and removing unauthorized structures along waterways.

On water treatment, Professor Klutse said a proof-of-concept for ionic nano-copper technology had shown it can clean polluted water, remove heavy metals, and restore normal turbidity. Because it works best in flowing water, EPA will prioritize desiltation and restoring river flows first, then deploy the technology to improve raw water quality for the Ghana Water Company.