The Member of Parliament for Anlo, Richard Kwame Sefe, has issued a stark warning to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) administration regarding the escalating challenges of coastal erosion and persistent flooding across parts of the Volta Region. Mr. Sefe cautioned that without urgent and decisive action to address the tidal wave situation and continuous flooding from the Volta Lake, the government risks severe public backlash from the communities bearing the brunt of these environmental disasters. Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, he emphasized the growing impact of sea erosion along the Volta coastline, stressing that the integrity of livelihoods, homes, and the safety of residents along both coastal and lakefront areas are under grave threat.

Residents of the affected coastal communities in the Anlo District have voiced profound frustration, explicitly telling their MP they no longer desire temporary relief items such as food, mattresses, or blankets. Instead, they are demanding a permanent engineering solution to the worsening sea erosion and lagoon flooding. Mr. Sefe relayed his constituents’ stance, highlighting their exhaustion with recurrent, short-term interventions. Some families have endured multiple displacements, with many now facing their third resettlement after successive waves of destruction caused by the encroaching sea and rising water levels, leading them to live in makeshift buildings with little hope for a lasting resolution.

The scale of the problem is extensive, with approximately 36 communities in the Shima area and around nine in the Coma area alone facing severe risks. The situation is further compounded during periods of heavy rainfall, where river overflow coincides with lagoon flooding, intensifying the destruction. Mr. Sefe pointed out that this problem is not new, referencing years of unsuccessful engagement with relevant authorities, including unheeded correspondence from his predecessor to the Volta River Authority (VRA). The communities are resolute in their demand for concrete action, advocating specifically for the dredging of the Volta estuary, which they believe is crucial for controlling the cyclical nature of flooding and erosion.

Adding to the concerns, the Anlo MP raised serious questions about the utilization of a $150 million World Bank-funded project, part of the West Africa Coastal Areas Management Programme (WACA), intended to protect Ghana’s Volta coastline. Mr. Sefe expressed alarm that a substantial portion of this funding is being consumed by consultancy services, workshops, and logistics, with virtually no visible construction work underway. He warned that the project risks losing significant value to administrative overheads before any physical sea defence infrastructure is delivered to the vulnerable communities.

Mr. Sefe criticized the disproportionate focus on administrative activities over actual construction, noting that affected communities continue to suffer while meetings and workshops are held far from the project sites. He specifically questioned the rationale behind organizing stakeholder meetings in distant locations like Accra (e.g., Eburi) rather than in or near the ravaged coastal towns, where participants could witness the urgency firsthand. The MP cautioned that if the current trend persists, a large percentage of the $150 million facility could be expended on non-technical activities, leaving little for the much-needed physical sea defence work.

Emphasizing the urgency, Mr. Sefe reiterated the call for immediate physical intervention. He referenced earlier, successful coastal protection efforts, such as the construction of a sea defence system in the Keta area in 1999, which involved massive sand dredging and rock placement to stabilize the shoreline. While acknowledging the importance of planning and consultancy, he stressed that the critical situation demands swift, concrete action to protect communities already under severe threat from the encroaching sea, including the residents’ demand for dredging the Volta estuary.