Waca-Resip: Togo plans big works this year

Infrastructure

Tuesday, 13 February 2024 16:25

Waca-Resip: Togo plans big works this year

(Togo First) - Togo will undertake big works this year, as part of the West Africa Coastal Areas Resilience Investment Project (Waca-Resip). The team steering the project announced Friday, February 9, to the press in the framework of a radio program aimed at communicating more on the Waca-Resip.

Protecting Gbodjome-Agbodrafo coast

The first phase of the coming works covers the Gbodjome-Agbodrafo coast which spans 7 km. In this phase, 22 groins with lengths ranging between 65 to 75 meters, will be built on the axis to curb coastal erosion. Two more projects are planned under this phase. The first is a beach nourishment project with 450,000 m³ of sand. The second aims to stabilize lagoon areas by planting 10 hectares of coconut trees.

Gbaga channel to be restored

Another project announced last week is the cleaning of the Gbaga channel. The project should help preserve biodiversity and improve movements on the water surface, subsequently bolstering the local economy.

According to Adewole Cesar, a civil engineer working on the project, it involves removing invasive water plants and dredging the channel. Indeed, excessive exploitation of natural resources, human developments such as hydropower dams and port facilities, and climate change, pose a major threat to the region’s biodiversity and sustainability. They have sped up erosion, water contamination, and sediment accumulation on the floor of the channel.

The Gbaga channel spans 23 km and connects Togo to Benin. In addition to dredging which will boost movement along the channel, a plan to restore the surrounding ecosystems, notably the mangroves which act as a natural barrier against erosion, is also planned. This should preserve biodiversity and the livelihoods of local communities.

The flooding equation

The last part of the recent announcements covers the Lacs and Vo prefectures, and the floods affecting these areas.

According to the local Waca-Resip steering committee, several measures will be implemented this year to tackle the issue. For example, over 4,000 linear meters (ml) of gutters of various sizes should be built to facilitate stormwater runoff and reduce the risk of flooding.

The WACA, the same source added, will close the year with the cleaning of existing basins and the protection of Aného's banks, extending over 2,000 ml,

In Togo, the Waca-Resip fights coastal erosion, and floods, while focusing on restoring ecosystems. The program is backed by the World Bank. In 2023, it secured additional funding from the French Development Agency (AFD).

Fiacre E. Kakpo

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