2023 Akosombo Dam Spillage Flood

The Akosombo Dam Spillage Flood is a riverine flood that occurred in the south-eastern part of Ghana. This is due to a controlled spillage of the Akosombo Dam and the Kpong Dam by the Volta River Authority to address rising water levels.

According to the BBC News, the cause of the flood was the heavy rainfall experienced in Ghana during 2023 leading to an increased volume of water in the two dams which in turn led to the Volta River Authority's initiation of controlled spillage of the dam in September 2023.

Background

The Akosombo Dam has a 150 billion cubic meters storage capacity with a maximum operating level of 276 feet. Due to the effects of climate change, Ghana has been experiencing rising levels of rainfall, causing the water levels to rise beyond the maximum operation capacity. Without the spillage exercise, this could lead to dam failure. The spillage exercise started on 15 September 2023, at 183,000 cfs/day. This was increased on 9 October 2023 due to continued rise of the water level.

Impact

The spillage led to the displacement of 8,000 people in 8 communities along the Volta River downstream, with Mepe being the most affected. The numbers have since increased to 31,000 as of 19 October 2023.

Communities impacted by the flood includes; the districts of North, Central, and South Tongu in the Volta Region, as well as the Asuogyaman District in the Eastern Region. Large portions of Tefle, Wume, Sokpoe, and other riverbank communities have also been affected by the floods, and at least 500 people are now without a place to live. Other localities, such as Alikekope, Agorme, and Agbave, have completely disappeared.

References

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Floods in Ghana
2023 disasters in Ghana