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Open dumping in Ghana contributes to flood risk and urban vulnerability

A study in the International Journal of Environment and Waste Management a direct link between Ghana's mounting urban flooding challenges and unregulated waste disposal practices. The findings have significant consequences for public health, the real estate market, and broader urban development.

The researchers focused on the cities of Kumasi and Tamale and found that open dumping—fly-tipping, as it is known in some parts of the world, where households discard waste indiscriminately in streets, drains, and vacant lots—has become a serious problem associated with urban vulnerability. Four out of five households surveyed admitted to open dumping.

The research used waste management theory alongside statistical regression modeling to look at the prevalence of waste mismanagement and showed that it is a central factor in recurring flood events. The number of households engaging in open dumping is surprising, as the infrastructure for waste management does exist in many of the areas where this occurs. The behavior is perhaps rooted more in public attitudes and a lack of civic awareness than problems with waste management systems.

Increased flood risk associated with waste mismanagement has led to a reduction in residential property values. Moreover, the researchers found that tenants are reluctant to pay higher rents in areas that are vulnerable to floods, even when the architectural standards of the buildings are high. The team quantified this market reaction using statistical analysis and found a consistent downward pressure on rental prices in flood-prone zones.

Falling property values are important economically to landlords and developers, but also to the financial viability of investing in urban housing, particularly in lower-income neighborhoods. The researchers warn that this downward pressure on prices might threaten the health of mortgage markets and reduce local government revenues that depend on property-related taxes—creating a cycle of underinvestment and further degradation.