The National Disaster Management Organization (NADMO) is urging residents in flood-prone areas to evacuate immediately, ahead of the scheduled spillage of the Bagre Dam in Burkina Faso.

The Burkinabe power utility, SONABEL, has confirmed that the spillage will begin on Monday, August 19, prompting urgent calls for relocation to avoid the potential dangers posed by flooding.

Speaking to JoyNews, West Gonja Municipal NADMO Director Adam Bavug emphasized the need for immediate action, stating that while NADMO is prioritizing the evacuation of residents from at-risk zones, the organization is facing a shortage of relief supplies for those who will be displaced.

"For now, we are asking them to leave these dangerous areas," Bavug said. "Our top priority is ensuring people move to safety. We will monitor the numbers—whether it’s 10, 50, or 100—and distribute the resources we have. If it’s not enough, we’ll request assistance from the district assemblies and our head office. But the reality is that we do not have enough resources to support everyone when the spillage hits hard."

Meanwhile, peasant farmers in the Upper East region are preparing to scale up sensitization efforts, knowing that many will suffer significant crop losses due to the flooding.

Eziekel Atanga Azure, organizer for the Peasant Farmers Association in Bawku West, expressed disappointment over the government’s lack of intervention and stated that the farmers have resolved to take matters into their own hands.

"We thought the government would step in to help, but every year the effect is the same," Azure said. "So, we’ve advised ourselves and are now focused on raising awareness among our farmers to encourage them to leave those vulnerable areas."

Despite ongoing appeals to the government, the farmers are moving forward with self-driven initiatives to protect their livelihoods in anticipation of the impending floods.