Importance of rivers and lakes to the economy of Ghana

It contains a summarized account of how useful and important rivers and lakes has been to Ghana's economy, and how we may not survive as Ghanaians without it

1. COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND LEGAL STUDIES

FACULTY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES

DEPARTMENT OF GEOGRAPHY AND REGIONAL PLANNING

ADDAI JULIUS PAMFO
SS/GRP/18/0003
BSc GEOGRAPHY AND REGIONAL PLANNING
GEO 103B THEMATIC GEOGRAPHY OF GHANA (GROUP 3)


QUESTION: Write an essay on five (5) importance of rivers and lakes to the economy of
Ghana?

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A river is a large natural flow of water. On the other hand, a lake is a large area of water
surrounded by land. In Ghana, there are different lakes and rivers of which all serve one purpose
or the other. We have rivers like The Volta River, Bia, Tano, Ankobra and Pra, Ochi-Nawuka,
Ochi Amissah, Ayensu, Densu and Tordzie rivers, etc. It must be emphasized that these water
resources play a very significant role in the economy of the Ghana. So therefore, it is very needful
for us to know what Ghana really gain from these rivers and how it continues in a long run to
boost the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Ghana. Some of these of importance can be seen in
the areas of the transportation of goods and passengers, Source of food and its aid in agricultural
production through its irrigation abilities, Source of minerals, Source of employment, ability to
boost the revenue of the government, generation of foreign exchange ear, and hydro-electric
power generation.
Firstly, the rivers and lakes in Ghana are a huge resource for food (which mostly
comes in fishes) and facilitators of the agricultural sector also. About 8,000 tons of fishes are
caught every year inland which helps decrease the import of fish for consumption. There are
about 18 species of fish in the Densu including the Weija reservoir with Tilapia and mud fish
being the most commonly fished species. The rivers and lakes inland are the major source of
fish during closed fishing seasons at the coast. These fishes can also be exported outside the
country which generates income for the nation and helps develop the economy. These water
bodies also serves irrigation purposes to farmers and other agricultural producers. There will
be no need for the usage of national resources to create irrigation dams when there are natural
water bodies which can serve such a purpose. This helps in saving the country some money
for other relevant projects. As these water bodies provide irrigation for agricultural producers,
definitely it will increase crop yield and agricultural production even during dry seasons, and
this will decrease the import of crops and other foodstuffs during these periods. And as it
decreases imports, inflation will be checked and the currency will appreciate in value. Some
basins of rivers like Pra contains most of the large cocoa growing areas in the Eastern,
Ashanti and Central regions. Food cropping is more and more commercialized especially
around the medium and large settlement and along the major river axes.
Secondly, rivers and lakes in Ghana helps in the movement of both goods and
people from one place to the other. In the early part of the twentieth century, the Pra was used
extensively to float timber to the coast for export. At one time, the Ankobra helped to transport
machinery to the gold mining areas in the vicinity of Tarkwa. The Volta Lake is navigable from
Akosombo through Yeji in the middle of the country; a twenty-four-meter pontoon was commissioned
in 1989 to link the Afram Plains to the west of the lake with the lower Volta region to the east. The

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Volta Lake serves as an alternative route for the transportation of goods and human beings from the
southern arts of Ghana to the Northern parts of Ghana, and from the Northern parts of Ghana to the
southern parts also. Recently when the Buipe-Yapei road that links southern Ghana to northern Ghana
and through to Burkina Faso was closed, the best and only alternative for commuters was to travel by
vessels through the Black Volta to their destinations. The Volta Lake transport system spans about
450 kilometres from the south to the north, with ports at Akosombo, Buipe and Yapei and major ferry
crossings at Yeji, Keta Krachi, Dambai and Kpandu. Whilst inland water transport does not constitute
a significant part of Ghana’s transport system, some routes are critical to small communities. It also
provides a useful and low cost alternative to road and rail transport between the north and the south.
This clearly shows the very economical essence of these rivers in our country by helping curb road
traffic in good and human transport which even saves the government money in building and
repairing roads.
Thirdly, rivers and lakes help Ghana generate its own hydroelectric power which
helps serve industries and individuals alike and even places outside the shores of Ghana. The
Akosombo Dam which sits on the Volta Lake generates electricity for larger industries like
the Volta Aluminium Smelter Company (VALCO) which by itself consumes 60% electricity
power from Akosombo Dam. The dam also supplies electricity power to neighbouring
countries of Togo and Benin. The industrial and economic expansion of Ghana triggered a
higher demand for a secondary source of power of which the Kpong dam was built in 1981
which is downstream from Akosombo. The Bui Dam (400 megawatt) is yet another project
when completed will help solve the energy and power issues in Ghana. It is being built on the
Black Volta at the Bui Gorge. Added to this, statistics also shows that The Pra River is
another potential river for the construction of hydro-electric dam. There is also no doubt that
without this hydroelectric power generation form our aforementioned water bodies, most
industries would not have been able to function and the whole nation and economy would
have been affected which would have led to the incurring of extra cost to borrow power from
other countries. But due to this, revenue and income is generated by the country both
internally and externally which helps the economy to grow.
Fourthly, the rivers and lakes in Ghana contains mineral deposits which are mined
and generates abundant income, revenue and even foreign exchange for the economy. The
northern part of Pra contains alluvial gold and other ground minerals which are of immense
benefits to our economy. Several large scale mining companies such as AngloGold Ashanti,
Abore Mining Company Limited, Resolute Amansie Limited, Bonte Gold Mines Company
Limited, Narawa Company Limited and others mine along the Pra. The Birim River contains

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diamond whiles the Bonsa River also contains alluvial gold. As these minerals are mined,
high economic implications are felt positively by the country as the monies generated from
these minerals are used for other developmental projects and other humanitarian works in the
country.
Lastly, rivers and lakes in Ghana is a source of employment for the people in Ghana
in so many ways. These employment avenues include fishermen, boat riders; artisanal mining
operators receive income from these primary economic activities through which they pay
taxes to the country to boost the economy of Ghana. Also, these income help them to provide
the physiological needs such as food, clothing, shelter, and water which are all elements of
human existence. Above all, these employees help in reducing the rate of poverty in Ghana
which in the long run will help prevent crime and violent acts especially by the youth. The
rivers and lakes also serves as tourist attraction which help generate revenue and foreign
exchange for the country. Like Lake Bosomtwi which is believed to be a crater lake, people
from all works of life around the world come to view how it is for projects and other personal
things and as their currencies are being changed to cedis and pesewas, our currency’s
inflation rate can drop and the cedi will become stronger and popular, and all these go a long
way to affect the economy as a whole. Places like the Ankobra Beach resort which aside
providing beach entertainment and employment, receives tourists from across the world
which also benefits the country in many ways.
To conclude, without rivers and lakes in the confines of Ghana, much revenue
accrued today would not have been available and this would have shrunk the progress of the
economy totally. So therefore we have to also try to fully utilize these resources in other for it
to help grow the economy and make Ghana progress and develop economically.
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