It is exactly 7 a.m. at Nawuni, a fishing community in the Kumbungu District in the Northern Region, and the White Volta River looks calm and ready for the day.
As usual, the fishermen started drifting their wooden canoes quietly across the river.
The only sounds were paddles touching the water and birds chipping from nearby trees.
Doutey Mark, a 40-year-old fisherman, has just begun casting his nets with expectations of a bumper catch.
However, when he finally pulled out the net, only a few fingerlings were found inside.
He looked at them briefly and sighed.
There was a time when fishing at Nawuni was predictable.
Fishermen returned home smiling with their canoes heavy with catch, whereas women waited along the banks to smoke and sell.
In an interaction with the Daily Graphic, Mr Mark said he used to record good catches, but the situation has changed in recent times.
“This river used to feed almost all of us in the community, but now most of the fishermen have stopped fishing and diversified into other economic ventures due to the low catch”, he said.
He attributed the situation to the pollution of the river due to sand winning, illegal mining and other human activities along the banks.
Just like Mark, Dogbevi Michael, who is also a fisherman, has been grappling with the low catch for some time now.
He said, “Sometimes we would return home with our canoes overflowing.
Now, even after hours on the water, there is nothing to go home with. We depend on the fishing for our livelihoods”.
Massive pollution
The poor fish catch has largely been attributed to the massive pollution of the river due to sand-winning and illegal mining activities in the area.
Dr Chrys Anab, an Environmental and Natural Resource Governance Expert
When the Daily Graphic visited the area, it observed that sand-winning activities increased along the riverbanks. Excavators had dug soil in sections of the riverbanks and loaded it on trucks for construction activities.
He also noted that illegal mining activities around the Gbane sub-catchment of the Volta River in the Upper East Region were being washed downstream into the Nawuni area. As a result, the river has become muddy and unsuitable for the survival of aquatic life.
Assessment
In 2025, a water quality assessment conducted on the White Volta River revealed high levels of dangerous heavy metals due to illegal mining and other human activities.
These women always smoke the fish for sale
Conducted by CSIR-Water Research Institute and TAMA Foundation Universal, the study showed high levels of mercury, cadmium, lead, cyanide, iron, arsenic, and other heavy metals in the Volta River and its tributaries.
The findings revealed widespread contamination, with several parameters far exceeding international drinking water standards set by the Ghana Standards Authority (GSA) and the World Health Organisation (WHO).
For instance, cyanide (CN), commonly associated with gold processing and illegal mining activities, showed a mean concentration of 0.211 mg/L, higher than the recommended limit of 0.07 mg/L, with peak values reaching 1.220 mg/L.
Additionally, Cadmium (Cd) exhibited a mean concentration of 1.544 mg/L, exceeding the WHO guideline of 0.003 mg/L with maximum values of 11.610 mg/L.
Similarly, lead (Pb) recorded a maximum value of 1.744mg/L with a mean value of 0.177 mg/L, far above the acceptable limit of 0.010 mg/L.
Although mercury (Hg) and arsenic (As) remained mostly within guideline limits on average, their maximum concentrations exceeded safe thresholds in some locations, suggesting localised pollution hotspots along the river system.
Copper (Cu) also showed elevated levels, with a mean concentration of 1.380 mg/L and a maximum of 7.942 mg/L, in some locations exceeding the 2.000 mg/L safety threshold.
Marine life
Commenting on the findings, a research scientist at the CSIR-Water Research Institute, Zita Naangmenyele Abuntori, said the results indicated high concentrations of heavy metals in the river, posing risks to both human and aquatic life.
A fisherman catch for the day
Aside from the possible killing of aquatic animals, she said, consuming such animals could also pose a potential risk to human lives.
Beyond the pollution, the indiscriminate human activities were also contributing to the heavy accumulation of sand within the Nawuni sub-catchment of the river.
The massive build-up of sand on the river bed has affected the smooth flow of the river and reduced its volume and speed.
For instance, a recent study conducted by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) revealed that more than 15 million cubic metres of sand had been accumulated in the sub-catchment area, impeding the natural flow of the river system.
The Programme Director for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) at CRS Ghana, Festus Fofie, pointed out that the situation has caused severe siltation, reducing the river’s depth and carrying capacity while also posing a threat to aquatic life.
Appeal
The chief fisherman of the Nawuni community, Yaw Amihere, expressed concern about the situation, noting that it poses a serious threat to the livelihoods of residents, who are predominantly fisherfolk.
He added that the constant disturbance of the riverbed has destroyed fish breeding grounds and driven many fish away.
He, therefore, appealed to the government and the relevant authorities to, as a matter of urgency, step up efforts to clamp down on illegal human activities in and around the river.
For his part, the Executive Director of TAMA Foundation Universal, Dr Chrys Anab, who is also an environmental and natural resource governance expert, said the Volta River served as a habitat for many aquatic animals, some of which are protected species.
He said contamination of the river could pose a threat to animals and human beings in general.
He, therefore, called for the strict enforcement of existing laws and regulations protecting water bodies, as well as the adoption of pragmatic and sustainable measures to address the situation and prevent further environmental degradation.
Way forward
What is happening to the White Volta is a life and livelihood crisis.
This is because the health of the river directly affects the well-being of the public.
It is, therefore, imperative for authorities to take up stringent measures to crack down on illegal mining and sand-winning activities and keep it safe for life under the river.
Until the White Volta and many other waterbodies are protected, the country cannot boast of making strides towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs) 14, which seeks to protect, restore, and sustainably use terrestrial ecosystems, manage forests, combat desertification, halt land degradation and prevent biodiversity loss.
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Source:
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