Kpeshie Lagoon Demolition Begins As Government Moves To Restore Flood Buffer

The government has begun removing structures from the protected buffer zone of the Kpeshie Lagoon at Laboma, weeks after authorities warned occupants to leave the area as part of a wider response to flooding in Greater Accra.

The Post Flood Mitigation Task Force, led by the 48 Engineer Regiment of the Ghana Armed Forces, started the demolition exercise on Sunday, targeting structures on portions of the lagoon that authorities say have been reclaimed and developed over time.

The exercise follows a 21-day notice issued by the Greater Accra Regional Security Council (REGSEC) in August. Occupants within the designated buffer zone were directed to vacate or remove their structures before the deadline.

The government’s action comes after severe flooding hit several parts of Accra on 29 June, with Tse Addo among the communities affected. Parts of the area were submerged after heavy rainfall, with reports linking the flooding to the overflowing Kpeshie Lagoon, silted drains and development around waterways.

Authorities say the problem at Kpeshie is not limited to individual buildings. Parts of the lagoon and its wetlands have been progressively filled with sand, boulders and other construction materials, reducing the space available for water to collect during heavy rainfall.

That loss of retention space has become a key concern for flood management because the lagoon and its surrounding wetland form part of the natural drainage system serving communities in the area.

The Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ohenewaa Akweley Ocloo, said the demolition at Laboma was being carried out peacefully and was limited to structures identified within the protected area.

She stressed that the operation should not be interpreted as a demolition of the entire Laboma area.

The authorities’ position is that the affected portions must be cleared before restoration work can begin. The Ghana Hydrological Authority had earlier been tasked with assessing the extent of encroachment on the Kpeshie Lagoon and its buffer zone.

The issue has been raised repeatedly in recent years. In 2024, REGSEC directed developers along Laboma Beach to stop construction and produce the necessary permits, citing concerns that the structures were affecting the ecological integrity and free flow of the Kpeshie Lagoon.

The current exercise therefore represents a renewed attempt to enforce the protection of the lagoon after the latest flooding.

It is also part of a larger flood mitigation operation being carried out across Greater Accra. The Ghana Armed Forces has been involved in dredging, removal of waste, demolition of unauthorised structures and restoration of degraded water bodies and retention ponds.

Other locations targeted under the wider programme include the Tesa Dam and Lafa Water Retention Basin.

The government has also announced longer-term drainage projects in other flood-prone parts of the capital, including major works in the Kaneshie area under the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development programme.