7th Call - Kwadwo Owusu

Project Title: The Socio-economic Impacts of Bui Dam on Downstream non-Resettled Communities

Principal Investigator: Dr. Kwadwo Owusu (Department of Geography and Resource Development)

Email Address: kowusu@ug.edu.gh

Award Amount: GHC 24,990.00

Project Status: On-going

Summary:

The importance of dams in socio-economic development all over the world cannot be overemphasized. In Ghana, dams have contributed immensely to socio-economic development through the provision or drinking water, irrigation and hydro-electricity (Gyau-Boakye, 2001). While dams can contribute to economic growth, the services they provide may come at a cost (Tchotsoua et al., 2008). Whereas the benefits have generally been delivered to urban centres or industrial-scale agricultural developments, river-dependent populations located downstream of dams have commonly experienced a difficult upheaval of their livelihoods, loss of food security, and other impacts to their physical, cultural and spiritual well-being. Dams alter aquatic ecology and river hydrology upstream and downstream, affecting water quality, quantity and breeding grounds (Helland-Hansen et al., 1995). As a reservoir is filled, terrestrial and riparian habitats within the impoundment are transformed (Monda and Reichel, 1989), and lotic aquatic habitats within the former channel become lentic environments (Petts, 1984, changing the habitat and resource base of local and regional ecosystems. The devastation of freshwater ecosystems directly affects the livelihoods of millions of people who live upstream and downstream of dams, especially in developing countries. Many of the people upstream get compensation and most times resettled and given livelihood assistance for some determined period. A consensus is emerging amongst researchers of an often unspoken but a major challenge which is the erosion of livelihood activities in the downstream communities that are often ignored in terms of resettlement, compensation and livelihood assistance. It is therefore important that the full social and economic impacts of the construction of the Bui Dam on downstream non-resettled communities are assessed. This study therefore seeks to highlight the livelihood challenges downstream non-resettled communities are facing after the construction of the Bui dam for intervention to avoid the collapse of livelihood activities that has often been associated with dam construction. The main goal is to highlight the developmental challenges that downstream communities are facing because they were not planned for in the resettlement package leading to the construction Of the Bui Dam.