Koforidua: Volta River Authority (VRA) has raised red flags over rising, unregulated developments along the Volta River, warning that such activities are worsening flood risks and undermining national emergency preparedness for the Akosombo and Kpong Dams.
According to Ghana News Agency, the VRA warned that escalating construction of homes, resorts, and commercial facilities along the Volta River is putting lives, investments, and national infrastructure at serious risk. This caution was sounded at a workshop on this year's Emergency Preparedness Plan (EPP) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) held in Koforidua.
Delivering a welcome address, Mrs. Rita Akosua Adjei Awatey, the Eastern Regional Minister, emphasized the importance of emergency preparedness for a region hosting key national assets. She stated, 'The safety of our people and the protection of our environment must remain paramount,' warning that disasters 'have a very negative effect on our economy.'
Providing technical insight, Mr. Abdul Noor Wahab, the Director of Water Resources and Renewable Energy at VRA, explained that international best practices require robust emergency planning for large dams such as Akosombo. He highlighted two main emergency situations: the need to spill because of excess inflows and the unlikely but high-impact event of a dam break. Mr. Wahab noted that settlements both upstream and downstream are increasingly vulnerable due to encroachment into high-risk zones, adding that VRA's goal is to ensure stakeholders 'appreciate the risks we are exposed to.'
As part of this year's engagement, VRA unveiled a simplified two-page EPP, using infographics to make emergency procedures clearer to district authorities, security agencies, and community leaders. Mr. Wahab explained that in two pages, key emergency procedures are made understandable. He clarified that building permits are issued by the District Assemblies, not the VRA, but warned that illegal developments in flood-prone areas would not attract compensation. 'We are not at the stage of compensation. We are highlighting risks so nobody will be in harm's way,' Mr. Wahab said.
In a presentation, Ms. Akosua Owusu Efaa, Senior Engineer at the VRA, outlined emergency phases ranging from controlled spills to catastrophic dam failure, stressing the need for early warning, clear communication, and known safe havens. She noted that many people do not even know what safe havens are in their communities.
The VRA also raised environmental concerns, citing illegal sand winning, deforestation, and farming within the 280-ft buffer zone, which are degrading water quality and increasing flood impacts. Officials cautioned that building within the high watermark would not result in compensation. The Authority called for stronger collaboration with district assemblies, planners, and traditional landowners to halt risky developments and safeguard lives downstream of the most strategic dam assets.