Ghana has been experiencing unpredictable rainfall patterns and as a result a flood occurred in the south-eastern part of the country. The flooding was due to a controlled spillage of the Akosombo and the Kpong Dam by the Volta River Authority to address rising water levels.
Heavy rains have significantly increased the volume of water in the Akosombo dam, and officials of the Volta River Authority, the electricity company that manages the dams, started the "controlled spillage" of the facilities in autumn 2023.
Akosombo Dam: Pivotal Infrastructure to Provide Energy
The authorities say the maximum safe operational level of the Akosombo dam is 277.5 ft (84.6m). If the water behind the dam reaches any higher, it could burst. The water level recently peaked just below this - around 277.26 ft, compelling them to "spill" excess water to prevent a catastrophe which could have dire consequences.
The controlled spilling ended on November 1, 2023. But as a result of this several communities have been flooded in the Volta region of Ghana. The flooding displaced more than 26 000 people in over 100 communities. Ghana's navy has been assisting with the rescue of more than 8,000 people.
The Akosombo dam was built in the 1960s to provide energy to industrialize the country and together with the Kpong Dams further downstream generate about a third of Ghana's energy mix. The Akosombo dam's construction flooded parts of the Volta River Basin in the eastern region of southern Ghana and around 80,000 people had to be relocated. It also led to the creation of the Volta Lake, the largest man-made lake in the world by surface area.
Sika's Involvement to Give Relief and to Rebuild
As part of the ongoing commitment to corporate social responsibility, Sika Ghana and its employees decided to act and help those affected by the dam spillage.
Sika Ghana donated 2,000 kg of Super Sikalite, 400kg of rice, 9 boxes of oil, 16boxes of biscuits, 250 bags of Sachet water, 60 packs of T-roll, 10 boxes of soap, 6 boxes of mosquito repellent, 30 cartons of assorted drinks, 10 boxes of chocolate drink and 6 boxes of tin fish. Staff also travelled to some affected areas (Anyako) to donate Kenkey and tinned fish to feed 600 people.
"Our social responsibility means when we are able, we support our local communities in their time of need. And at Sika Ghana, we have a strong Sika spirit and culture of commitment to our community. So, when this incident occurred, we started to look into how we can practically help those affected. I would like to thank all colleagues at Sika Ghana that were a part of this initiative." Marcel Elkhoury, General Manager Sika Algeria and Acting General Manager Sika Ghana
