Bagré Dam releases cause recurring floods in northern Ghana

Controlled water releases from the Bagré Dam in Burkina Faso are causing recurring, devastating floods for farming communities along the White Volta River in northern Ghana. To prevent the dam from overtopping during heavy rains, authorities perform controlled releases that subsequently swamp downstream riparian communities.

The impact on Ghanaian residents has been historically severe. In 1999, flooding was linked to 52 deaths and a cholera outbreak, leaving 9,000 people homeless. In 2007, an estimated 307,127 people were affected, with emergency response costs reaching approximately US$25 million. More recent incidents include a 2022 event that damaged 3,000 hectares of farmland and a 2023 flood that displaced over 2,000 people across 43 communities in the Kpandai District.

An international team of researchers is currently investigating the issue, combining scientific data, community knowledge, and nature-based solutions to find a sustainable way to manage these shared water resources. The goal is to develop a collaborative framework between Ghana and Burkina Faso to protect lives and livelihoods while ensuring dam safety.