‘Hydropower communities’ and energy justice: a case study of the Akosombo Dam in Ghana

Historically, hydropower projects have significantly impacted local populations, mainly due to inadequate attention to justice principles in their planning and implementation. We examine the evolving impacts of Ghana’s Akosombo Dam through the lens of ‘hydropower communities,’ local populations whose lives are intricately tied to the socio-environmental footprint of hydropower infrastructure. Applying an energy justice framework focused on distributive, procedural, recognition, and restorative justice, we evaluate the dam’s initial construction with the 2023 controlled spillage. Findings reveal that in both historical and contemporary contexts, affected communities have disproportionately borne the burdens of hydropower development while receiving limited benefits. Although efforts to address these harms have evolved, they remain largely insufficient to achieve meaningful justice. Building on these findings, the study proposes a set of forward-looking recommendations, including the establishment of benefit-sharing mechanisms, participatory governance forums, protection of cultural heritage, and creation of a resilience and reparations trust fund. The research highlights that without deliberate integration of energy justice principles, hydropower projects risk entrenching structural inequalities, particularly under the intensifying pressures of climate change. Advancing justice for hydropower communities is essential not only for rectifying historical grievances but also for ensuring more equitable and inclusive energy transition in Ghana and beyond.