Illegal mining, otherwise known as galamsey, pollution, and improper waste disposal have been identified as major threats to the White Volta Basin.
The White Volta River is a major headstream of the Volta River, originating in northern Burkina Faso and flowing through Ghana, ultimately emptying into Lake Volta. It’s a vital water source for communities along its banks and plays a significant role in agriculture and industry in Northern Ghana. The river also supports fishing and is a source of hydroelectric power.
The White Volta features rapids north of Gambaga, which are a force of nature and attract visitors to explore the river and its rock formations.
But this water resource is now being threatened by illegal mining activities, pollution, and improper waste disposal.
This could spell doom for people along the White Volta Basin, whose livelihoods depend on the safety of the basin, and the entire country since the White Volta feeds the country’s main hydro power source, the Volta Lake
It is on this score that the Water Resources Commission on Tuesday, May 20, 2025, held a sensitization meeting with the Gambaga Sub-Basin Committee on group dynamics and building their capacity to effectively play their role at the community level.
The engagement is part of the implementation of the Integrated Water Resources Management Strategies by the Water Resources Commission in collaboration with the Dutch Water Authorities.
In the past, there have been calls for the passage of the Riparian Buffer Zone Policy for Managing Fresh Water Bodies in Ghana, which was designed as a harmonized document of all the dormant and fragmented regulations in the country concerning buffers bordering water bodies or river systems.
It is also designed to provide comprehensive measures and actions that would guide the coordinated creation of vegetative buffers for the preservation and functioning of water bodies and vital ecosystems in the country.
The Policy aims at ensuring that all designated buffer zones along rivers, streams, lakes, reservoirs and other water bodies shall be sustainably managed for all.
Speaking to Dreamz News on the sidelines of the sensitization activity for the Gambaga Sub-Basin Committee, Project Manager for Blue Deal Ghana Project by the White Volta Basin Secretariat of the Water Resources Commission in the Upper East Region, Dr. Justice Aduko, while stating the purpose of the engagement, explained that the White Volta Basin is threatened by illegal mining, pollution and poor waste disposal.
Dr. Aduko said this is leading the country into a water crisis, with many rivers already drying up.
“We have issues of pollution, illegal mining, improper waste disposal and sand winning, and many more that are threatening our water resource, particularly the White Volta Basin. Illegal mining is an emerging and a serious threat because they use water in the mining, they pollute the water with chemicals and that makes it a serious threat and Blue Deal as a project is a Dutch Government sponsorship with the Water Resources trying to build the capacity of local stakeholders in managing these water resources because of the global water crisis.” He stated.
He continued stating “the kind of training we have given them, it is anticipated that it will improve their understanding of group dynamics and effective facilitation to be able to engage stakeholders at the community level and integrate Water Resources Management Practices within the Gambaga Sub-Basin”.
