Deputy Chief of Staff, Operations, Stan Xoese Dogbe, has directed the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC), to prepare to begin the ecological restoration of areas along the Kpeshie Lagoon where physical structures have been demolished.
The restoration works, he said, should involve the Forestry Commission and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), to plant coconut and other suitable trees. The EPA will also provide the necessary environmental guidance to restore the fragile ecosystem.
The directive was issued on Sunday at Laboma in Accra after the Post Flood Mitigation Task Force carried out the demolition of illegal structures within the protected buffer zone as part of ongoing flood prevention measures in the Greater Accra Region.
Mr Dogbe told the Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ocloo (MP), that the restoration would ensure that the reclaimed sections of the lagoon are protected from future encroachment while restoring the wetland’s natural ability to retain floodwaters.
According to him, the work by the Task Force and the Regional Security Council is not to demolish the whole of the area called Laboma, but rather the previously known water retention basin along the Kpeshie with green vegetation that has over the last few years been cleared, silted and physical structures built.
After Sunday’s exercise, the team will clear the debris, and working with the REGSEC and EPA begin the process of planting trees along the secured area, “which will even make it more serene for leisure and holiday makers”.
“The long-term objective is to return the area to its natural state rather than leave the reclaimed land exposed.
The Kpeshie Lagoon has been identified as one of the most critical flood intervention points in Accra after years of illegal reclamation, sand filling and commercial development reduced its water-holding capacity and obstructed the natural flow of water to and from the sea.
The Post Flood Mitigation Task Force has in recent weeks undertaken dredging, demolition and retention basin restoration works at several flood-prone locations, including Tesa Dam, the Lafa Water Retention Basin and the Kpeshie Lagoon.
Authorities say the next phase will focus on restoring the wetland landscape through vegetation and sustained environmental protection to strengthen the lagoon’s resilience against future flooding.
