Authorities managing the Bagre and Kompienga dams in Burkina Faso plan to begin the controlled release of excess water from the Bagre Dam on August 27, a routine annual measure that poses flood risks downstream in neighboring Ghana.
In a notice transmitted to Ghana’s Upper East Regional office of the National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO), Burkina Faso’s state power utility, SONABEL, said water levels at the Bagre Dam have reached 233.99 meters—approximately 86.38% of its total capacity. The Kompienga Dam, also located in the southeastern part of the country, is currently at 177.66 meters.
The release is expected to reach the White and Black Volta rivers within 48 hours, potentially inundating communities, farmland, and infrastructure along the riverbanks in northern Ghana. The region has a history of seasonal flooding linked to the annual spillage, which is aimed at preventing structural strain on the dam and maintaining operational safety.
Ghanaian disaster response officials are preparing for possible evacuations and damage control in the affected regions. Authorities continue to urge residents in flood-prone areas to move to higher ground ahead of the anticipated surge.
The annual spillage, although necessary for dam integrity, has in past years displaced thousands and damaged agricultural land in the largely rural and agrarian communities along the Volta basin.
