Ghana’s flood response needs engineers trained in sustainable drainage – USTED project lead

Ghana’s response to urban flooding may depend partly on what future engineers learn in the classroom, with a university-led project calling for sustainable drainage systems to become part of construction education.

Pro Vice-Chancellor of the University of Skills Training and Entrepreneurial Development (USTED), and project lead, Professor Isaac Boateng, says engineers must be trained to do more than construct drains as the country confronts the pressures of urban expansion, intense rainfall and inadequate stormwater management.

“The question is no longer simply whether we can construct drains. It is whether we can design, build and maintain drainage systems that protect people, conserve resources and support sustainable urban development,” he said.

His comments come as USTED and Edinburgh Napier University in Scotland work to integrate Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems (SuDS) into Ghana’s construction curricula, equipping future professionals to consider approaches that slow, store and manage rainwater rather than relying exclusively on conventional drainage channels.

The initiative comes amid recurring concerns about flooding in Ghanaian towns and cities, where rapid development, extensive paved surfaces, blocked drains and building along waterways can worsen the effects of heavy rainfall.

Professor Boateng’s address to a workshop on sustainable drainage education also referred to the destructive floods that hit Accra in July 2026.

Conventional drains remain important to urban drainage, but sustainable drainage systems offer additional ways to manage rainfall where it lands.

SuDS can slow the movement of stormwater, provide temporary storage and, where soil and site conditions allow, help water infiltrate into the ground. Options include permeable pavements, rain gardens, vegetated swales, detention and retention ponds, green roofs, rainwater harvesting and constructed wetlands.

These approaches can also help improve water quality. They are intended to complement conventional drainage infrastructure, not replace it altogether.

Their suitability, however, depends on local conditions. Soil characteristics, groundwater levels, possible contamination, available land and maintenance requirements all influence which measures will work at a particular site.

For Professor Boateng, these considerations make it important to prepare construction professionals who can assess drainage problems and select solutions suited to the places where they will be used.

The project, titled Embedding Sustainable Drainage Systems (SuDS) Education into Ghana’s Construction Curricula through Transnational Education, seeks to introduce the subject into existing courses rather than treat it as an isolated area of study.

Relevant programmes include hydrology, civil engineering, construction technology, environmental management, urban planning, building services and infrastructure design.

The project also aims to train at least 10 Ghanaian academics and develop teaching resources adapted to the country’s circumstances.

Professor Boateng has identified several obstacles to adoption, including gaps in existing curricula, limited instructor expertise, inadequate teaching and field equipment, and insufficient funding for practical learning and research.

He has also pointed to the preference for conventional drainage methods within parts of the construction industry, alongside concerns about the initial costs and maintenance of alternative systems.

Addressing these barriers, he argues, will require staff development, locally relevant research, stronger links with industry and investment in teaching resources. He has appealed for additional support from the British Council and the Ghana Research Fund.

Adapting international knowledge to Ghana

A lecturer in construction at Edinburgh Napier University, and project team member, Dr Nimi Dan-Jumbo, says the partnership is intended to support knowledge exchange and identify ways to adapt sustainable drainage approaches to Ghana.

She says conventional drainage remains predominant, while nature-based methods could provide additional, potentially cost-effective options for managing stormwater when appropriately designed for local conditions.

The collaboration is not intended to impose a single approach on Ghanaian institutions. Instead, it seeks to share experience, examine local needs and develop resources that educators can use in their own teaching.

Expected outputs include a publication from the workshop and a study guide tailored to the Ghanaian context. The exchange is also intended to help the Scottish university learn from Ghanaian colleagues and better understand the gaps that need to be addressed.

That local adaptation will be important if the methods are to move from classroom discussions into construction practice. A drainage measure that works in one setting may not be suitable elsewhere without changes to its design, location or maintenance arrangements.

Taking the lessons into the classroom

For Reverend Dr Christina Bukari, a lecturer at Mampong Technical College of Education, the workshop offers an opportunity to explore how sustainable drainage can be incorporated into teaching.

She hopes to use the knowledge gained to introduce the approaches to students, helping prepare future professionals to consider a wider range of options when dealing with stormwater.

The emphasis on practical learning is central to the project. Students need opportunities to assess sites, estimate runoff, compare drainage options, understand basic design and consider how systems will be maintained.

35 experts and lecturers from different institutions are attending the four-day workshop at USTED to discuss how sustainable drainage education can be developed and incorporated into Ghanaian construction programmes.