2024-05-11 14:31:55
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These are the headwaters of the hydroelectric dams of Garafiri, Donkéah, Banéah and large falls which will be restored in the Republic of Guinea. The launch of this campaign took place this Thursday, May 9, 2024 in Debelé, in the sub-prefecture of Mambia, Kindia prefecture. It was chaired by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy, Hydraulics and Hydrocarbons.
It was at the great Balewondy waterfall, in sector 113, that energy and environment stakeholders and several evaluation managers in the said sector met to launch this campaign to restore the spring heads of hydroelectric dams in Guinea. In his speech, N’Fanly Diaby, the interim General Director of the company Électrcité de Guinée (EDG) expressed himself in these terms: “The major objective of this approach is to rehabilitate the ecosystem functionalities of the source heads of the hydroelectric dams in order to improve electricity supply in our country. This requires a new revitalized and optimized energy policy which will allow us to improve customer satisfaction on a daily basis in all its components and thus make EDG more competitive on the sub-regional market for electricity from renewable energies. We will reforest around 50 hectares of degraded land, mobilize and involve more than 1000 young people from grassroots community organizations (CBOs) for the monitoring and maintenance of the plantations. Through these participating NGOs, we will train and raise awareness among all the actors and stakeholders of the project on the protection of forest resources as well as their safeguarding. This synergy of actions started today will give a new lease of life, a new image of each actor involved in this process and this will not go unnoticed. We are all convinced of this. So, let’s protect our environment to save our lives.”
For his part, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy, Hydraulics and Hydrocarbons, Ahmed Sekou Keïta, invited all stakeholders and populations of localities located around these dams or sites which will be forested to involved in monitoring. “It is an event of great environmental significance that we are marking today by launching the reforestation campaign initiated this year by the company Total Energies Guinée which has decided to invest in the protection of the environment by fighting effectively and efficiently against climate change. Indeed, why reforest? Reforestation makes it possible to maintain the balance of all ecosystem services coming from forest areas, whether economic, cultural, environmental, or health. The implementation of this reforestation activity contributes to the realization of the lessons of our country in the face of climate change. For our Department of Energy, it participates in the protection of the headwaters of our rivers which are essential to our electricity production system. It is known to everyone that today, many of our waterways are threatened with disappearance, caused by the effects of deforestation. This is why reforestation activities are so important to ensure sustainable development of our populations in both rural and urban areas. I take this opportunity to launch a solemn appeal to all stakeholders, authorities at all levels, local elected officials, technical services, civil society and populations for a commitment to defend with the utmost energy what we have in common: environment, which necessarily requires the involvement of everyone,” said Mr. Ahmed Sékou Keïta.
During this campaign to restore the spring heads of hydroelectric dams which begins next June for a period of 2 years, 50 hectares will be reforested, including 13 hectares for the large Balewondy waterfall, in the sub-prefecture of Mambia.
Aboubacar Dramé, regional correspondent at Kindia
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