COP 28: Ablakwa commends US’ Al Gore for spotlighting Akosombo dam spillage

North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa has praised former US Vice President Al Gore for highlighting the flooding situation in the Volta and other regions at COP 28 in Dubai, UAE.

Ablakwa thanked the climate change activist and winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for highlighting the innocence of the displaced while expressing the hope that COP 28 will spur immediate investments in building resilient communities.

“We commend former US Vice President, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, and Climate Change Advocate, Al Gore, for consistently highlighting the plight of our 40,000 displaced compatriots at his recent international engagements,” he stated on X.

“May our displaced persons find happiness again. In this together, rising together,” he added.

The Akosombo Dam, crucial for Ghana’s hydroelectric power last month, was confronted with the major challenge of peaking water levels, forcing authorities to embark on what it termed a “controlled spillage.”

Unfortunately, the spillage triggered enormous flooding in hundreds of communities within the lower Volta and other parts of the Eastern and Greater Accra regions.

Relief efforts from the government through the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) and private organisations are still ongoing in the affected communities.

Additionally, the government has pledged GHC 220 million towards restoring the livelihoods of the indigenous people, as announced by the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta, in the 2024 budget presentation.

The last controlled spillage, causing flooding in the Akosombo Dam community, occurred in 2010.