President John Mahama has announced that the West Africa Coastal Areas Resilience Investment Project Phase Two will soon resume in Ghana’s coastal communities. The initiative, aimed at combating coastal erosion, flooding, and pollution, was temporarily halted during the 2024 general elections.
During a visit to communities in the Volta Region affected by recent tidal waves, President Mahama assured residents that the project remains a priority. He revealed that the feasibility study has been completed and the project has advanced to the design stage, after which it will proceed to procurement. He further emphasized that the $150 million World Bank funding for the project is secure.”I’m happy to announce that the feasibility study is finished, and they are at the design stage. After the design stage, they will do the procurement, which is the actual construction of the WACA project. And so I’m sure that very soon you will see that works will start in your coastal area,” he stated.
As part of the intervention, coconut trees will be planted along beaches. At the same time, mangroves will be restored in estuarine areas to help stabilize the soil and protect coastal lands from sea encroachment.
In the short term, the President indicated that the Volta River Authority (VRA) will be engaged to dredge the main estuary to improve water flow and reduce the risk of flooding. He also called on residents to cooperate with authorities as preparations continue toward the full rollout of the project. “I just want to ask for your cooperation as we continue the processes to do the work, but in the meantime, we will contact VRA to see if they could do some dredging in the main estuary so that it eases the pressure on this side,” he said.
The announcement comes in the wake of severe tidal waves that have devastated several coastal communities in the Volta Region, destroying homes, displacing thousands, and intensifying calls for urgent government intervention.
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