Accra, Ghana//-Upsilon Pi Delta Institute (UPDI), a leading civil society organisation (CSO) based in Accra, with representatives across Ghana has urged all concerned parties to work together to alleviate the suffering caused by the spillage of the Akosombo Hydro-electricity Dam.
According to the CSO, to ensure a more prepared and resilient future for these affected victims and the communities which are on the lower volta, it called upon all stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society organizations, and the international community, to prioritise the well-being and recovery of the affected communities.
Dr Gideon Agbey, Executive Director of UPDI also called for transparent and accountable relief efforts to ensure that aid reaches those who need it most.
He made the observations after UPDI’s field visit to the affected communities and victims and underscored the urgent need for a coordinated and effective response to address the devastating effects of the Akosombo Dam spillage.
The UPDI is therefore drawing the public’s attention to the dire situation that has unfolded in the affected communities.
The spillage, resulting from a culmination of factors including rising water levels and heavy rainfall, has had a profound negative impact, and some positive observations highlighting the resilience of the affected people.
Negative impacts
Poor Preparation towards the Spillage: It is evident that inadequate preparations were not made to address the escalating situation, resulting in severe consequences for the affected communities.
The VRA monitoring failed to incorporate geographic information systems and variables within the Volta basin from the headwaters of the Fouta Djallon highlands in Guinea, weather patterns in Mali and Burkina Faso as well as the Oti River headwaters in northern Togo and Benin.
Uncoordinated Management of the Relief Process: The relief process has been marred by understaffing and a reliance on volunteers who may lack the necessary professional expertise and capacity to address the complex challenges posed by the spillage.
NADMO, an organisation set up in response to migration challenges of the 1980s is slow in responding to contemporary human insecurities and dynamic changes within the sphere of the risk society and forced migrations pose to humanity.
Government’s Sluggish Response: The government’s response to providing support has been marked by delays and sluggishness, which has exacerbated the suffering of the affected population.
While many government functionaries claim that sensitisation efforts were carried out before the dam spillage, the response of the state agencies shows clearly that the state was unprepared and unaware of the consequences of the dam spillage. The question that begs to be answered is, does the government of Ghana have an emergency response cabinet, like the COBRA?
Lack of Transparency and Accountability: Transparency in the management of the disaster as well as coordination, mobilization and distribution of relief items has been lacking.
There is a pressing need for transparency and accountability in the mobilisation and distribution of relief items not only to ensure that aid reaches those who need it most but also to avoid duplications.
Relatedly, the absence of a comprehensive master plan for the relief operation has hindered the effective allocation of resources and support.
Poor Simulation Exercise: The spillage response was hampered by inadequate and to some extent, a complete absence of well-coordinated simulation exercises, which should have been conducted to prepare for such events to minimize the human and material cost.
Political Insensitivity and Poor Judgments: Politically insensitive statements by the President of Ghana Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo that sought to draw a linkage between voting patterns of the affected communities and the government’s response coupled with the blame-laden comments of Ghana’s Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Freda Prempeh suggesting that the affected communities refused to be evacuated from the areas did not only project the government in a negative light but also reduced the state’s legitimacy in responding to the crisis paving way for non-state actors to dominate relief efforts.
The unthought-through inter-ministerial committee set up to address the havoc, the withdrawal of the military from affected communities and their subsequent reinstatement of the operation has also had adverse effects on the relief efforts.
Delays in Evacuating the Deceased: Delays in evacuating deceased individuals from morgues have caused distress to families and hindered the proper handling of the deceased posing further health risks to survivors of the disaster.
Positive impacts
Resilience of the Affected People: The affected individuals have shown remarkable resilience by prioritizing safety and working together to overcome the challenges posed by the spillage.
Coordination between MPs and MCEs: A positive aspect has been the strong coordination between Members of Parliament (MPs) and Municipal and District Chief Executives (MCEs) in the affected areas, which has facilitated response efforts.
Community Support: Communities have rallied together to support each other during this crisis, providing a glimmer of hope in the face of adversity. The role of the media, civil society organisations and individual philanthropists is worth mentioning.
Recommendations
Missing in the debate amidst the chaos and lack of proper planning, is a discussion on the life span/expiry date of the dam. The decommissioning of the dam and the subsequent rebuilding should be brought forward to have enough time to drain the dam reservoir.
A new dam should incorporate a sustainable design that minimises flooding upstream and downstream of the dam.
The need to fast-track the completion of the Gambaga Dam in North East Region of Ghana to serve as a holding reservoir for the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso, which contributes to rising water in the Volta Lake.
Periodic and consistent desilting of the Keta Lagoon and the Volta River estuary at Ada should be prioritised.
Above all, a comprehensive human impact assessment aimed at gaining insight into the economic, environmental, social, health, physical and food insecurities and impacts need to be carried through with the ultimate objective of supporting affected individuals and communities, reducing vulnerabilities, and professing workable response mechanisms for future disaster of this nature.
The impact on communities
The spillage has had a devastating impact on the Indigenous people residing along the Volta River downstream, with the town of Mepe being the hardest-hit community.
Faced with the risk of dam failure, the spillage exercise commenced on September 15, 2023, initially at a discharge rate of 183,000 cubic feet per second (cfs/day), which was later increased on October 9 due to the continued rise of the water level.
Initial reports indicated that 8,000 individuals were displaced across eight communities, but the numbers have since skyrocketed to an alarming more than 31,000 as of October 19, 2023. Families have been uprooted from their homes, losing their belongings and sources of livelihood overnight.
The spillage has also had a profound impact on education in the region. Schools have been forced to close, leaving pupils and students without access to education.
The interruption in learning could have long-term consequences for the affected children, depriving them of their right to education and hindering their prospects.
The Akosombo Dam spillage serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerability of communities living near major dams and the urgent need for comprehensive disaster management plans. The government and relevant authorities must develop strategies to mitigate the risks associated with dam operations and protect the well-being of Indigenous people.
As Ghana grapples with the aftermath of this disaster, it is crucial to learn from the experience and take proactive measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Why is VRA spilling?
Volta River Authority (VRA) which is the main generator and supplier of electricity in Ghana has spilt huge volumes of water because the water level in the reservoir has reached its safe operating level at this time of the year, so there is a need to release water from the reservoir to make room to be able to accommodate incoming flows. Without spilling, the water may overtop the dam and compromise its integrity.
Why is it necessary for VRA to spill water instead of using it to generate electricity?
All the available units are currently being used to generate electricity, however, the water that is coming into the reservoir is still higher than the norm and as such generation alone cannot take out all the water. The water level may overtop the dam and cause uncontrolled discharge into the downstream communities if timely controlled spilling is not done.
History of the Akosombo Dam
The Akosombo Dam, also known as the Volta Dam, is a hydroelectric dam on the Volta River in southeastern Ghana in the Akosombo gorge and part of the Volta River Authority.
The primary purpose of the Akosombo Dam was to provide electricity for the aluminium industry. The Akosombo Dam is the largest single investment in the economic development plans of Ghana. The dam is significant for providing both Togo and Benin’s electricity, although the construction of the Adjarala Dam (on Togo’s Mono River) hopes to reduce these countries’ reliance on imported electricity. The dam’s original electrical output was 912 megawatts (1,223,000 hp), which was upgraded to 1,020 megawatts (1,370,000 hp) in a retrofit project that was completed in 2006.
In May 1960, the Ghana government called for tenders for the construction of the hydroelectric dam. In 1961, an Italian consortium, Impregilo which had just completed the Kariba Dam, won the contract. In 1961, the Volta River Authority (VRA) was established by Ghana’s Parliament through the passage of the Volta River Development Act. The VRA’s fundamental operations were structured by six board members with Ghana’s first President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah as chairman.
The construction of the Akosombo Dam resulted in the flooding of part of the Volta River Basin and its upstream fields and in the creation of Lake Volta which covers 3.6% of Ghana’s total land area. Lake Volta was formed between 1962 and 1966 and necessitated the relocation of about 80,000 people, who represented 1% of the population. People of 700 villages were relocated into 52 resettlement villages two years before the dam’s completion; the resettlement program was under the direction of the VRA.
The last time the Akosombo Dam community experienced flooding because of a controlled spillage of the dam was in 2010.
