The Western Regional Coordinating Council (WRCC) has engaged a delegation from the Centre for Environment & Health Research and Training (CEHRT), consultants undertaking the Environmental and Social Assessment for the proposed Edinam-1X exploratory well in the Offshore South West Tano (OSWT) Block, together with representatives of OPCO and its partners.
The proposed exploration programme presents another opportunity to advance the Western Region’s role in Ghana’s upstream petroleum industry, with the potential to unlock new hydrocarbon resources, stimulate economic activity and create opportunities for local communities and businesses.
At the engagement, the WRCC emphasised that exploration and investment must be matched by strong environmental and social responsibility.
Particular attention was drawn to the need for meaningful engagement with the six coastal communities that will interface with the project. The communities are expected to be adequately informed about the proposed programme, its scope, potential environmental and social impacts, mitigation measures, opportunities and what they can reasonably expect as the project progresses.
The Council stressed that stakeholder engagement should go beyond a procedural requirement. Continuous dialogue, transparency and access to accurate information are essential to building community confidence and creating the conditions for responsible offshore operations.
The WRCC also called for close coordination among OPCO and its partners, regulatory institutions, the Council, the relevant Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, and the affected coastal communities throughout the exploration process.
Environmental protection, marine safety, the protection of community livelihoods, emergency preparedness and responsible resource development, the Council noted, must remain integral to the project from planning through to implementation.
The Western Region remains open to responsible upstream investment and looks forward to a collaborative process that supports a safe, environmentally responsible and socially accountable exploration programme, while ensuring that communities within the project’s operating environment are meaningfully engaged.
The resource may be offshore, but the responsibility is shared.
