A year after the GreenFakes investigation, Climate Whistleblowers traveled to the village of Singrobo, where residents describe a dire situation
(Paris, 11 August 2026) – A new investigation by Climate Whistleblowers (CW), published today, reveals the alarming consequences of the Singrobo-Ahouaty hydroelectric dam project in Côte d’Ivoire. With construction stalled, residents are raising the alarm about meager compensation and deteriorating housing conditions. One family is also warning about health issues that may be related to limited access to water.
The dam project, launched under a concession agreement between the company Ivoire Hydro Energy (IHE) and the Ivorian government, was intended to be a flagship initiative for the energy transition and inclusive development in Côte d’Ivoire. Construction, undertaken by the French company Eiffage, began in 2019 with funding from various sources, including the African Development Bank, Emerging Africa Infrastructure, and the German government’s investment agency (DEG).
In 2025, the GreenFakes investigative series—published by media outlets Mediapart, Mongabay, and Africa Uncensored and based on documents obtained by CW—revealed the project’s significant environmental impact. At the time, the parties involved in the dam project were asked about its impact on the local population. In response, IHE maintained that it was committed to applying “best practices in environmental and social management“, relying notably on “in-depth dialogue with the affected communities.”
Today, 17 Singrobo residents interviewed by CW describe a starkly different reality, notably citing cracks in buildings allegedly caused by the construction work. According to their testimonies, the compensation awarded to some local residents for losing their livelihoods was not raised despite delays in the dam’s construction, and its value has now become negligible compared to the time passed. Furthermore, several residents say they never received anything at all.
“This dam ruined everything in Singrobo” laments one village resident. For her part, a representative of the Jeunes Volontaires pour l’Environnement (JVE – Côte d’Ivoire), an NGO which is supporting the residents of Singrobo, clearly states the purpose of their efforts : “We want them [the project stakeholders] to turn their attention to this community so as to take into account their rights.“
The project has been stalled for several years. According to the latest public reports from IHE, delays in construction are linked to the need to build an embankment to protect one of the country’s main highways from flood risk—a risk that had not been anticipated at the start of the project.
The Singrobo-Ahouaty hydroelectric dam is a perfect illustration of the issues highlighted by the GreenFakes investigative series: a project presented as virtuous, yet with disastrous consequences for both the environment and the local population.
For the purpose of this follow-up, each of the project’s stakeholders was questioned again. Eiffage explains that it halted work at IHE’s request in March 2025, when “95%” of its share of the construction work had been completed. It was not entrusted with the additional works, including the construction of the embankment. The African Development Bank (ADB), for its part, states that “compliance with the project’s environmental and social commitments (…) is subject to ongoing monitoring, regulatory oversight, and the Bank’s supervision processes“, and indicates that it has set up an Independent Recourse Mechanism, which handles complaints concerning environmental and social impacts of Bank-financed projects.
“Environmental destruction and human destruction go hand in hand. Singrobo is further proof of this” asserts Gabriel Bourdon-Fattal, Executive Director of CW.
CW calls on the Ivorian authorities, the financial institutions involved in the project, and the companies responsible for its design to address the social impacts resulting from the project’s stagnation and to ensure effective redress for affected communities, while upholding the environmental commitments made as part of the project.
About Climate Whistleblowers:
Climate Whistleblowers is an NGO dedicated to protecting individuals who expose wrongdoings that worsen the climate crisis and ensuring their disclosures are impactful. Even a single act of whistleblowing can make all the difference. With individualised support, we believe a new generation of climate whistleblowers can catalyse the change the world desperately needs.
For more information or to arrange interviews, please contact:
Luna Postel, project officer: +33 7 66 06 33 61