The Minister for Works and Housing, Francis Asenso-Boakye, has officially broken ground for the implementation of the first project under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development project (GARID).
This initiative aims to improve flood risk and solid waste management while enhancing access to basic infrastructure and services in flood-prone, low-income communities within the Greater Accra Region.
Affirming the government’s commitment, the minister emphasized that substantial investments have been made in the National Flood Control and Priority Drainage Programmes. These efforts target tackling indiscriminate solid waste dumping into drains and maintaining existing drainage systems.
The minister made these statements during the sod-cutting ceremony that signified the initiation of the first GARID project in Accra.
The Minister, in his address, mentioned that similar projects would commence in Akweteyman and Nima, extending to the remaining two beneficiary flood-prone low-income settlements under the project.
According to the minister, these interventions showcase the government’s dedication to improving access to basic social infrastructure, public service provision, and reducing the vulnerability of low-income communities to flooding and other natural disasters in the Greater Accra Region.
GARID, a two hundred million flood mitigation intervention initiative, will focus on improving drainage systems, addressing solid waste management challenges, enhancing roads, extending streetlights, and improving water supply.
The launch of the first phase of the project is anticipated to significantly improve access to basic services, infrastructure, and housing in the targeted communities.
Minister Francis Asenso-Boakye highlighted the event as a crucial milestone in addressing persistent issues such as flooding, poor road conditions, and slum situations in the country.
Madhu Raghunath, the Practice Manager for Urban Resilience and Land Global Practice at the World Bank, expressed optimism about the project’s potential replication across the country, contributing to building urban resilience and improving the overall urbanization rate.
