Accra

Accra’s Resilience Journey

The capital of Ghana, Accra is one of the safest cities in Africa. But sustained water pollution threatens the economic stability and growth of this sprawling metropolis.

Extreme water pollution from human and industrial waste has stymied private-sector investment in waterfront development. It has also left Accra’s two lagoons uninhabitable for local species, threatening local cultural rituals based around the lagoons.

The city’s worst fear, however, is the threat of cholera outbreaks driven by the polluted floodwaters that arrive with the rainy season. Cholera strains the city’s healthcare systems and can impact larger business operations and markets.

Accra’s leadership is now thinking about the problem in an innovative way. From recent experiences with outbreaks, officials know that taking a holistic approach to resilience involves not only improving waste management and flood management, but also “sensitization infrastructure” to promote good sanitation and hygiene in local communities.

View Strategy (English)

News and Resources

Kicking off PowerXChange: Cities exchanging knowledge on Energy Resilience 

Kicking off PowerXChange: Cities exchanging knowledge on Energy Resilience 

The Challenge: Achieving Energy Resilience amidst compounding Shocks and Stresses  The City of the Hague’s Resilience Office calculated what the European energy crisis meant for its ...
Speaker Series # 8 – Urban Heat: Cities Taking Action

Speaker Series # 8 – Urban Heat: Cities Taking Action

Cities are heating up at twice the rate of global average warming due to the urban heat island effect and rapid urbanization. With more cities facing record high temperatures and heatwaves ...
The Art of Reflective Learning in Cape Town – Protecting the Vulnerable During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Art of Reflective Learning in Cape Town – Protecting the Vulnerable During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Cape Town, South Africa responded quickly to the resilience test by COVID-19 using the lessons it had learned during the water crisis it experienced in 2017 and 2018, focusing attentions on the ...

Our Network

Which cities are a part of the Resilient Cities Network?