Accra: A team of researchers from the Centre for Biodiversity Conservation Research (CBCR) are currently in northern Ghana to assess the possible impact of the annual Bagre Dam spillage on the ecosystem and communities that depend on it. The visit, ahead of the planned spillage of the Bagre Dam by SONABEL, the power-producing company of Burkina Faso, forms part of the implementation of the ‘Addressing Climate Vulnerability through Nature-Based Solutions Using Transdisciplinary Engagement of Wetland Communities (AV-STEC)’ project.
According to Ghana News Agency, the AV-STEC Project is a climate resilience initiative designed to mitigate the recurring devastation caused by the Bagre Dam spillage. It also seeks to develop sustainable, community-driven solutions to reduce the vulnerability of wetland populations to flooding and other climate-related disasters, and covers flood-prone areas in Ghana’s Upper East, Upper West, North East, and Savannah Regions, as well as parts of Burkina Faso.
Mr. Emmanuel Taye, an Ecologist and Field Activity Coordinator of the AV-STEC Project, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency, explained that the team’s visit to the affected areas was necessary to document the scale of the environmental and social impacts caused by the spillage. ‘It is an opportunity for the team to see firsthand the kind of impact that the dam spillage has on the communities and biodiversity,’ Mr. Taye said.
He mentioned that they would be examining how early warning information was disseminated and whether local populations were adequately informed before the spillage. Preliminary interactions with some community members revealed that most residents were unaware of the planned spillage, despite SONABEL’s recent announcement. This highlighted a critical gap in communication and disaster preparedness, which the project seeks to address through community engagement and improved information flow.
Miss Sandra Owusu-Gyamfi, an Ecologist with the project, expressed her concerns regarding the crops that would be destroyed by the flooding and how this would impact the livelihoods and economic well-being of the farmers who had invested months of hard work. She also raised concerns about potential food security implications for the country.
For years, the annual spillage of the Bagre Dam has posed significant ecological and socio-economic challenges to communities downstream in northern Ghana. The AV-STEC Project aims to reduce the vulnerability of these communities by promoting nature-based adaptation strategies such as wetland restoration, sustainable land use practices, and biodiversity conservation.
The project forms part of the Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) initiative, a UK-Canada-funded framework programme that seeks to enable socially inclusive and sustainable action to build resilience to climate change and natural hazards across Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. By bringing together scientists, local communities, government agencies, and development partners, the project is designed to bridge the gap between research and practical adaptation measures.