Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana Dr. H. Kwame Afaglo ©2010

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana It is anticipated that Ghana will experience stressful water shortages by year 2025, unless the current trend of conscious and legitimate pollution of the water bodies in Ghana is regressed. Portable water is one of the sources of human life, since about 60% of the human body is wholly water.

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana Importance of water The availability of water is an important component of the very existence of human, fauna and flora lives. Besides lives of living things dependent on water, it is has direct import on health, recreation, industrialisation, transportation, aesthetics, agriculture among others. Health – Unclean water and insufficient

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana water causes ill health to living organisms and the ecosystem. Polluted water bodies depletes the flora ecosystem and causes extinction of fauna and ill health to humankind. Industrialisation – Almost every firm uses water either in product processing or for consumption of staff at workplace. Industries use large volume of water for production. Hence, without water industries can not function.

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana Transportation – Water transportation is a viable and essential part of moving large amounts of products and persons across the globe and at relatively lower prices. The role of water transport is keeping international trade vibrant and another source of moving persons from one state to another. Be reminded, Ships, boats, canoes can only function provided there is a water body.

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana Employment – Water bodies serves as a means of employment to a good number of people as fishing, working on board ships, ferrying persons across banks, divers, marine treasure hunters etc. Food – Marine fauna feeds most humans if not all, some terrestrial fauna and avian. Kingfishers do live on fishes, bears enjoy fish, likewise sea gulls, among others.

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana Medicinal – Some marine and freshwater body flora have medicinal values and used in the treatment of human health. Entertainment – Beaches, cruises and aquarium are major sources of generating revenue under ecotourism, as well as entertaining humans.

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana Agriculture – Aquaculture is another means of rearing endangered marine species for profit. In Ghana, the Tilapia and Red fish are well farmed. Games and aesthetics – A good number of human games are water based, e.g. Swimming contest of various levels and exercising. Fish tanks are increasing been bought and placed in living rooms as an aesthetic.

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana An account of Ghana’s fresh water resources as presented by Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana (EPA) as ‘EPA of Ghana estimated that freshwater resource in Ghana amounted to 40 million acre ... from rainfall, rivers, streams, spring and creeks, natural lakes and ground water from various aquifers. (2010)

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana Quizzically, one of Ghana’s polluted water body is the Korle Lagoon and unfortunately it is ranked the worse polluted water body of the world. (Boadi and Kuitunun, 2010) Korle lagoon serves as the main outlet to the city’s drainage channel for waste disposal to the sea, of which has destroyed marine flora and fauna lives.

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana Besides domestic waste particular faecal, large amounts of untreated industrial waste are emptied into Korle lagoon, hence not only polluting the lagoon but also damaging the air quality. It is easy for Accra planners and administrators to place the blame on high rural – urban drift, however, this unplanned ecotourist and transportation source of water body is continuously been destroyed.

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana Generally, intermittent water shortages in Ghana are mostly attributed to drought. Whiles sight is lost of surface and underground water pollution is been legitimized and it is a conscious human activity. Human activity Minerals mining – Mining does use large volumes of water and chemicals in washing the ore(s). Specifically, effluents

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana which contains cyanide and other metals seep into and pollute both surface and underground water over time. Do note, Gold and other metals forms part of the top three highest earners for Ghana in trade on goods. Hence its abolishing is invariable challenging, despite the pollution to water bodies.

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana Both large and small scale mining activities in Ghana is having a detrimental effect on the water bodies of the state. Cases in point as studied by Wacam as; ‘It is important to cite few specific examples to buttress the seriousness of the problem of water stress in mining communities. The mining operations of Golden Star Resources (Bogoso/Prestea) Mine

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana had polluted and destroyed the six rivers Dumase namely, Aprepre, Wurawura, Akyesua, Pram, Nana Nyabaa, Nsu Abena (6) and two (2) rivers in Twigyaa.’ (2010) Further studies unveiled the fact that AngloGold Ashanti Obuasi mine had polluted twelve (12) rivers in Sanso, Obuasi and surrounding communities. (Wacam, 2010)

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana Adverse effect of mining on water bodies Polluted water bodies from mining activities is a health hazard to consumers of water in that ecosystem. Cyanide, heavy metals and other chemicals that access the water table from mining activities does have a negative effect on the flora and fauna of those mining communities.

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana Detection and Ramification Seepage from effluents into the water table and surface water by mining activities did cause conflict between some mining communities and multinational mining companies. A case in point was the discharge of manganese waste into river Bonsa,

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana which serves as the source of portable water for distribution for human consumption by the Ghana Water Company. (Ghana Journal, 2010) Newspaper reports also has it that in 2005 Newmont Ghana Gold company did discharge faecal matter into river Asuopre that served the water and

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana food needs of those living in the catchment areas. As a harsh but necessary preventive measure, The Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana did shut down two such water seepage polluting mining facilities of AngloGold Ashanti Iduaprem Ltd in Ghana.

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana : 

Insufficiency yet Encouraging pollution of freshwater bodies of Ghana References Boadi, K.O. And Kuitunen, M. (2010) Urban Waste Pollution of Korle Lagoon, Accra, Ghana Available from http://www.springerlink.com/content/qpl1x52785147401/ Accessed on [16th September 2010] The Ghanaian Journal (2010) Mining Companies Polluting 250 Rivers with Cyanide – Wacam Available from http://www.theghanaianjournal.com/2010/03/23/mining-activities-pollute-water-bodies/ Accessed on [16th September 2010]