President John Dramani Mahama has visited communities in Fuveme to assess damage caused by the recent tidal waves that broke through parts of the area, leaving residents grappling with the aftermath.
The Wednesday visit follows reports of the encroachment of the sea, with the President undertaking firsthand inspection to better understand the scale of destruction and outline both immediate and long term efforts to reduce the impact and plan to permanently address costal erosion along the stretch respectively.
Addressing the affected communities, the president said the affected coastline fell within a designated project area under the West Africa Coastal Areas Management initiative, widely known as the WACA project, a $150 million World Bank-funded programme covering communities in Ketu South and parts of Anloga that is designed to tackle coastal erosion along the stretch.
The coastline, he noted, had a long history of intervention.
“Previous efforts include the Keta Sea Defence Project undertaken during the Rawlings administration, the Agblewutorkor Sea Defence and subsequent phases including Blekusu 1, which has been completed. Blekusu 2 is currently ongoing”, he stated.
The WACA project, President Mahama said, had experienced delays in 2024 during the election period but had since resumed.
The feasibility study has now been completed and the project has moved into the design phase, after which procurement processes will commence before full construction begins.
He said efforts were being made to expedite the processes so that work could begin along the affected areas as soon as possible.
The project will involve the construction of groynes built into the sea to reduce the force of waves and ensure they return to shore in a more controlled and less destructive manner.
Environmental measures will also form part of the intervention, including the planting of coconut trees to stabilise the soil and the restoration and planting of mangroves within the estuary to serve as natural barriers against further sea encroachment.
President Mahama gave an important assurance to the communities, saying the $150 million funding for the WACA project remained fully secured and would proceed as planned, even as other externally funded projects had been adjusted to meet different priorities.
In the interim, the President said the government was engaging the Volta River Authority to explore dredging of the main estuary as an immediate measure to reduce the current impact on the community.
He explained that when the estuary became silted, water flow was restricted and forced to find alternative paths to the sea, a situation that contributed directly to incidents such as the one that had recently struck Fuveme.
Dredging, he said, would improve water flow and reduce pressure on the surrounding areas.
President Mahama extended appreciation to the community for their patience and cooperation, and called for continued collaboration as the processes advanced toward the full implementation of the WACA project.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
