Attaining The SDGs 1&2 Will Remain A Mirage If The Impact Of Annual Spillage Of The Bagre Dam In Burkina Faso Is Not Curtailed

The United Nations (UN) in its general meeting in 2015 adopted a new development agenda for its members called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Goal 1 & 2 focused on eradicating hunger and poverty in all forms by 2030. The attainment of these goals is however under severe threat due to the negative impact of climate change.

Sub-Sahara Africa is one of the world’s most hit regions when it comes to climate change. This climate change has negatively affected most savanna countries and regions. This means that Ghana and in particular, the northern savanna regions are not left out. As a result of climate change, sea levels have changed drastically, rainfall pattern has become unpredictable, and the vegetations are losing their cover.

One of the poverty reduction strategies for savanna ecological zones was the construction of dams to preserve water for dry season farming. These dams remain valuable till date, yet due to impact change, the dams are overflowing their banks, calling for annual spillages. One of the biggest dams in West Africa is called the Bagre dam in Burkina Faso. The Bagre dam is a major source of vegetable commodities in West Africa. Unfortunately, the dam had its fair share of the annual torrential rainfalls, leading to its annual spillage by the Burkina Faso authorities. The spilled water from the Bagre dam find its way into Ghana through the Upper East Region.

Unfortunately, Upper East region is one of Ghana’s poorest regions, yet, it still faces the devastating effects of spilled water from the Bagre dam. Though dams are economic assets that provide water for dry-season farming, fishing and animal domestication and are scattered across many communities the Upper East region, the Spillage of the Bagre dam remains a nightmare for the people of the region. Annually, the spillage of the Bagre dam has caused more harm than good to Upper Easters. Every year, the uncontrolled spilled water results to torrential floods leading to loss of lives, farm crops, animals, and destruction of homes and other properties. For instance, reports from the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) indicates that, the number of people who lost their lives in 2018 were about 15 with many others injured, and around 31,903 people (5,317 households) were directed affected in Upper East and Northern regions. The situation has not change in 2019 and 2020, because media reports indicates that over 200,000 people were affected in 2020 and large acres of farmlands with produce and properties lost to the floods water.

These estimates are worrying and if strategic efforts are not taken to curtail the situation, Ghana as a whole and the Upper East region in particular cannot attain even half of the SDG 1 and 2 targets by 2030. This is because, efforts made by farmers, community members and investors to increase food security in the region are terminated by the floods from the Bagre dam spillage, resulting to huge debts and creating additional vulnerabilities.

Frankly speaking, the intervention by government over years remains subtle and unsustainable. Maximum efforts from government are yet to be seen. What government does in most cases is to dush out relief items such as perishable items like food and mattresses to affected populations and households. Sadly, the distribution of these relief items is saddled by political party colorations. The people themselves especially those who settle along the black volta and other tributaries that takes their source from the Bagre dam must be blamed. It is not gainsaying that the management of the Bagre dam in Burkina Faso annually issues a warning notice to the Ghanaian authorities in advance before the spillage of the dam. But, the lackadaisical attitude of Ghanaian sometimes delays in conveying the message to the at-risk communities and population. Public education on the issue has always remained poor in the region. Besides, community members along the risk zones are equally recalcitrant whenever public education is carried out on the spillage of the Bagre dam. But this recalcitrancy must not deter Ghanaian authorities from taking drastic steps in averting the negative impacts of the floods from the Bagre dam spillage.

For Ghana to match confidently towards attaining the SDGs, greater sustainable strategies need to be taken. In fact, a radical approach to handling the menace will be the best. One of those bold steps was announced by President Nana Addo-Dankwa Akuffo Addo in 2018 when he cut shot for the construction of a multipurpose dam along the black volta at Pwalugu to collect the excess water spilled from the Bagre dam. But, beyond the sot-cutting ceremony, not much is heard about the project. In fact, this project was a brilliant one, but until the project is executed physically, we cannot dance in the absence of a drum. One measure that government can take to reduce the impact of the Bagre dam spillage menace is to acquire all lands along the black volta and tributaries where the Bagre dam spilled water passes and all disaster-prone lands through the Compulsory Acquisition Law. After the acquisition, those lands should be restricted from occupation and certain economic activities and already settled populations should be evacuated and resettled at safe locations. No amount of excuse is worthy of losing one life and until such radical approach is adopted, government efforts and the efforts of investors will forever remain a mirage.

We must wise up and act responsibly as a people. If we can stand firm against populations settling along disaster-prone zones, if we stand firm a midst shocks and remain resilient, the annual spillage of the Bagre dam which causes torrential floods will be a blessing to us but not a curse. If Government consider the lives of citizens as paramount and adopt sustainable solutions, then achieving the poverty reduction targets will be easy task. Dams must be consecrations not obscenities.

Written by;

Abu Ibrahim Azebre

(Community Development Professional)

[email protected]

07/10/2021