Volta Region
The Volta Region of Ghana is the easternmost of the country. Once belonging to Togoland, the region became a part of Ghana just before the country gained its independence from the British in 1957. The area is mostly rural with the majority of its populace doing service work or farming. The elements of water, earth, and fire are important economic and environmental qualities of the area. The Akosombo Dam and Lake Volta are found in this region, as well as the Wli waterfalls in the city of Hohoe. To meet the needs of farmers, field burning is a common practice as a way to clear land for crops.
Akosombo Dam
• Construction began in 1961 and opened in 1965
• Provides 70% of Ghana’s electricity
• Supplies electricity for Togo and Benin as well
• Surrounded by the largest man-made lake in the world, Lake Volta
• Cost $ 130 million to build funded by US, UK, and World Bank
• Tours are available on Sundays around the dam aboard Dodi Princess
Wli Waterfalls
• Located in Hohoe a part of the Volta Region of Ghana
• Developed as a main tourist attraction officially in 1997
• Highest waterfalls in West Africa
• Home to thousands of straw-colored fruit bats
• A characteristic to describe the fall is escarpement, which means to fall off. African rivers are made up of escarpements, making them hard to navegate.
Field Burning
Photo by Sarah Lewis
• Limited technology of clearing the land
• Field Burning is cheap and efficient
• Helps control the population of pests including snakes and scorpions
• In comparison to Togo and Burkina Faso, Ghana does not have strict guidelines controlling slash and burn fires
• If fires get out of control they can spread rapidly and destroy valuable property including housing and valuable vegetation
Photo by Gharty
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