Atewa is the source of three of Ghana’s most important rivers — the Ayensu, Densu, and Birim, which supply millions of people with water for drinking, farming, and industry. Yet these rivers are under growing pressure from illegal mining, logging, farming, and waste pollution.
To provide solid evidence for advocacy, the Supporting Community Resource Management Areas to Strengthen Their Role in Protecting the Atewa Forest, Ghana project, funded by the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF), has begun a comprehensive water survey. Fieldwork was carried out at nine sampling points across the Ayensu, Densu, Birim and Wankobi rivers, with CREMA members, including women actively participating in the exercise.
Using a U-50 multi-parameter water quality probe, the team measured pH to assess acidification and chemical balance, temperature to determine conditions affecting aquatic life and oxygen levels, dissolved oxygen as an indicator of river health and species survival, and turbidity to monitor sediment levels linked to erosion or mining. Alongside these measurements, the team also recorded visual observations of flora and fauna, noting indicator plants and animals that reflect the ecological integrity or stress of the river system. This combination of physical, chemical, and biological data provides a crucial baseline against which future changes can be tracked.
The work does not stop at data collection. Analysis is already underway to compare river health upstream and downstream of known threat zones, and to produce maps and dashboards that will highlight pollution hotspots and overall river conditions.
From these findings, clear recommendations will be generated to strengthen advocacy, enabling CREMAs and A Rocha Ghana to engage district assemblies, the Water Resources Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency with strong, evidence-based arguments.
Already, community monitoring groups are drawing on early data in local forums to call attention to the impacts of illegal mining. Once the full analysis is completed, the results will be shared on the ARG website, adding weight to public pressure to protect Atewa’s rivers — lifelines for Accra, Nsawam, Koforidua and many other towns downstream.