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Second Dams Forum opens in Accra next week
Accra, Feb. 18, GNA - A national dialogue
on dams and their development in Ghana is scheduled to take
place in Accra next week.
The forum, captioned; “Second Ghana Dams Forum and Workshop
on the Impact of Climate Change on the Bui Hydropower
Project,” is expected to open a debate on the construction
of the Bui Dam Project based on lessons from the Aksombo
Dam.
About 60 institutions, including traditional authorities and
non-governmental organizations are expected to be
represented.
Mr Richard Twum Barimah Koranteng, Executive Director, Volta
Basin Development Foundation, said at a press conference in
Accra that the debate was simple because behind the array of
facts and figures, economic statistics and engineering
calculations lay a number of basic and easily understood
principles.
“If adhered to and routinely applied, these principles will
not only go a long way towards responding to the controversy
surrounding dams, but would markedly improve decision-making
on water and energy resources (to) achieve better outcomes.”
He said during the first Ghana Dams Forum held in 2006, a
consensus was reached to further conduct a study into issues
like compensation, community involvement and, research and
capacity.
“The issue papers which have been prepared by experienced
consultants and researchers will be presented during this
second forum,” Mr Koanteng said.
Mr Koranteng said in addition, it was realized that the
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of the
ongoing Bui Hydropower Project for which the final designs
were being prepared, should be reviewed to identify
potential impact indicators which could be taken up for
further study.
“The review leading to identification of indicators and
formulation of relevant studies is ongoing.
“However, an immediate clearly felt limitation was the lack
of scientific information on the potential impact of global
climate changes on the Bui dam.”
Mr Koranteng, who is also the Coordinator for the
Secretariat of Members of the National Co-ordinating
Committee for the Second Forum, said it was true that dams
had made important and significant contributions to human
development and the benefits derived from them had been
considerable.
“However, in many cases an unacceptable and often
unnecessary price has been paid to secure those benefits,
especially in social and environmental terms by people
displaced by communities downstream, by tax payers and by
the natural environment.
“Therefore by bringing to the table all those whose rights
are involved and who bear the risks associated with
different options for water and energy resource development,
the conditions for a positive resolution of competing
interests and conflicts are created,” he said.
GNA
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