WACA ResIP: First Phase to Begin in October

Infrastructure

Friday, 27 August 2021 03:27

WACA ResIP: First Phase to Begin in October

(Togo First) - The first phase of the WACA ResIP (West Africa Coastal Areas Management Program) will begin next October. It will cover the towns of Gbodjomé, in Togo, and Sanvi Kondji, in Benin.

In Togo, this phase will include erecting seven groins (lines of rocks set perpendicularly to the ocean's edge or on a river bank to slow down water currents and limit sand movements) between Agbodrafo and Kpémé, and rehabilitating six groins and a breakwater previously built in Aného.

In Aneho, still, a seawall will be built to face storms recorded between June and September.

In preparation of the works, environmental and social impact studies have been carried out in concerned towns. As part of these studies, authorities and populations have been in talks since August 23 regarding the reintegration of communities affected by the project.

According to Foli-Bazi Katari, minister of environment and forest resources, protecting the coast cannot be achieved while ignoring affected communities.

“The goal of this project is, not only to stop the advance of the sea but to enhance our coastline to get all the benefits,” said Edem Kokou Tengue, minister of maritime economy and coastal protection. He mentioned the construction of a bike path in Aného.

WACA ResIP, let’s recall, is part of a larger program steered by the World Bank, and aimed at tackling coastal erosion and sea pollution in West Africa.

Klétus Situ

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