Bagre Dam nears spillage threshold as NADMO warns White Volta communities

Burkina Faso’s Bagre Dam is approaching a level where it may begin spilling water, prompting the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) to warn communities along Ghana’s White Volta basin. Currently, the dam’s water level measures 234.48 metres, just shy of the 234.75 metre threshold at which a spill would be expected.

Rebecca Akolgo, the Upper East Regional Director of NADMO, stated that her agency is ramping up readiness efforts to mitigate the consequences of a potential spill and safeguard lives and property. She informed that they have advised those living and working along the White Volta to evacuate immediately, and they have heeded the warning, relocating to safer ground.

Moreover, disaster volunteers and local divers have been assigned to oversee risky locales and dissuade residents from entering perilous zones. In preparation for potential displacement, NADMO has established temporary shelters and secure locations in at-risk communities. While Akolgo cautioned that farmers yet to reap their harvests could suffer substantial damages if the dam were to spill, highlighting that water from a spill could inundate fields and obliterate crops, especially those in close proximity to the White Volta.

Historically, the dam’s annual spillage has triggered flooding downstream in Ghana, impacting farms, residences, and livelihoods in communities situated along the White Volta.