Burkina Faso dismisses allegations

Burkina Faso has denied that the construction of her dams has contributed to the low level of water in the Akosombo hydro-electric dam as being alleged. A statement issued by the Burkina Faso Embassy in Ghana said the causes should rather be found in the low level of rainfall recorded in the sub-region over the last two decades, and during 1997 in particular when exceptionally low rainfall figures were recorded. A statement by the Burkinabe Embassy said Burkina Faso has complied with the principles of international law applicable to the management of common resources in the construction of all her dams. This is what motivated international donors to commit themselves to the financing of these projects. It said in Burkina Faso, the average rate of increase in water level in the dams already constructed is only about 40 per cent, and that as a result the total volume of water recorded in these dams is 1.48 billion cubic meters which is about 0.9 per cent of the storage capacity of the Akosombo dam. The statement said the Sourou and Ziga dams whose total water storage capacity is only 560 million cubic meters are for agricultural purposes and supply of potable water to cities. The statement said the White Volta, the Kompienga, the Bougouriba and the Sourou rivers, being small tributaries of the White and Red Volta generally dry up between November and May. However, it said, the construction of the Kompienga, Barge and Diebougou dams contributes to regulating those water bodies because, apart from water loss through evaporation, most of the water stored is used to turn turbines and thereafter returned to rivers. This, it said, improves the situation in Northern Ghana. The statement said until now, Burkina Faso does not receive electric power from any neighbouring country but gets 70 per cent of its electric power supply from thermal stations built on its territory and 30 per cent from the Kompenga and Barge dams. The statement said the system of supply makes electricity very expensive. ''This is why Burkina Faso wishes to achieve electric inter-connection projects with Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana and she is happy that its joint project with Cote d'Ivoire is on course''. The one between her and Ghana had been delayed because the price proposed by the Volta River Authority (VRA) would make electric power from Ghana more costly than thermal power generated in Burkina Faso. Because of the desire of the country to realise the inter-connection project the Burkinabe Minister of Energy and Mines has since 1995 paid six visits to Accra. It said there is the need to promote a co-ordinated tapping of resources in the sub-region and the formation of Inter-State Commission as proposed by the Burkinabes to ensure integrated management of water resources in the Volta basin.