GOVERNMENT ORDERS ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION OF KPESHIE LAGOON FOLLOWING LABOMA DEMOLITIONS

ACCRA — The Deputy Chief of Staff in charge of Operations, Stan Xoese Dogbe, has directed the Greater Accra Regional Coordinating Council (GARCC) to immediately initiate the ecological restoration of reclaimed sections of the Kpeshie Lagoon. The sweeping directive follows a high-profile demolition exercise carried out on Sunday, September 13, 2026, by the Post-Flood Mitigation Task Force. The task force cleared several unauthorised commercial and residential structures—including the popular Pink Flamingo Lounge—built within the wetland’s protected buffer zone at the Laboma Beach Resort enclave.According to Mr Dogbe, who also chairs the National Flood Mitigation Taskforce, the reclamation effort will go far beyond simply clearing illegal physical structures. "We will clear the debris, dredge the area, and plant coconut and other suitable trees to restore the reclaimed sections to their natural state," he stated.The restoration program will be executed through a multi-agency partnership involving the Forestry Commission, the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), and the Ghana Armed Forces (specifically the 48 Engineer Regiment). The EPA will spearhead the environmental guidelines necessary to stabilize and safeguard the fragile ecosystem.A Critical Flood Defenceme ZoneThe Kpeshie Lagoon basin has long been identified as a vital flood-control intervention point for the capital city. However, years of illegal sand-filling, uncontrolled land reclamation, and aggressive commercial development have severely choked the wetland and stripped away its protective mangroves. This destruction has critically minimized the lagoon's natural ability to hold excess rainwater, exacerbating severe flooding in adjacent Accra communities.Greater Accra Regional Minister, Linda Ohenewaa Akweley Ocloo, noted that the demolitions followed a 21-day vacation notice issued in August by the Regional Security Council (REGSEC). City officials maintain that the post-demolition greening initiative will permanently protect the buffer zone against future encroachment while returning the lagoon to its resilient, natural state.