Deputy Chief of Staff Directs Wetland Rehabilitation After Kpeshie Lagoon Clearance
Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Stan Xoese Dogbe, has directed the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) to begin the ecological rehabilitation of the Kpeshie Lagoon following the demolition of illegal structures within its protected buffer zone.
The directive was issued on Sunday at Laboma after the Post Flood Mitigation Task Force completed the latest phase of its flood prevention exercise aimed at reclaiming the lagoon’s natural water retention basin.
Mr Dogbe instructed GARCC to coordinate the restoration in collaboration with the Forestry Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), with the agencies expected to plant coconut trees and other suitable vegetation while providing environmental guidance for the recovery of the fragile wetland ecosystem.
He said the rehabilitation would protect the reclaimed sections of the lagoon from future encroachment and restore their natural capacity to retain floodwaters during heavy rainfall.
According to him, the objective of the exercise is not to demolish the entire Laboma enclave but to recover the former water retention basin along the Kpeshie Lagoon, which has over the years been cleared of vegetation, silted and occupied by physical structures.
Mr Dogbe said the next stage of the intervention would involve clearing demolition debris before commencing tree planting across the secured buffer zone.
He added that restoring the wetland would not only strengthen flood resilience but also create a greener environment that could serve residents and visitors as a serene recreational space.
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 rehabilitation forms part of the Government’s broader post-flood mitigation programme, which has already undertaken dredging, demolition and retention basin restoration works at Tesa Dam, the Lafa Water Retention Basin and the Kpeshie Lagoon.
Richard Aniagyei, ISD
