BACKGROUND TO THE PROJECT AREA

Communities along the lower Volta River basin where the natural flow of the River had been altered due the construction of the Akosombo and the Kpong dams have experienced a drastic change in socioeconomic and cultural conditions. Indeed communities such as Torgome, Klamadoboe, Alabonu and Kasa in the North Tongu District of the Volta region have had a negative change in life style ranging from socio cultural, economic to health and as a result both youths and the aged have either migrated or are contemplating of migrating to nearby Towns and Cities such as Akosombo, Kpong and Accra in search of non existing jobs. The only jobs available to them in the Cities and Towns are street hawking and other menial jobs as well as human degrading occupations such as prostitution and sometimes armed robbery since the illiteracy rate is relatively high in their communities.

COMMUNITY
The people of Torgome traditional area where the above mentioned communities are located are mainly farmers. This is located at the entrance into the North Tongu District of the Volta Region and close to the Eastern region of Ghana. The major occupation for the young men is river fishing and river sand winning, the older men and women are mostly subsistent farmers who farm in Cassava and Pepper for their nuclear families. Torgorme and its surrounding communities have an estimated total population of about 5,000 inhabitants who are presently migrating to nearby Towns for better living conditions. Torgome is traditionally headed by a chief and has an assembly member in the local government system. It has six communities with each community headed by an area head as part of their traditional set-up.

Torgome used to have a rich natural resource including land for agricultural activities such as pepper farming and the river Volta for fishing. However the situation has changed drastically over the period of fifteen years. Fishermen have severely complained of consistent decrease in catch, neither do vegetable farmers benefit from their hard work on farms. These two activities which remains their only reliable source of livelihood are being threatened. The alternative source of livelihood for the young men which is environmentally degrading activity is River Sand winning. This activity has resulted in young men suffering from diseases such as bilharzias, hernia as well as eye defects. Deposition of alluvial from the river which enriches the soil during river flooding in the rainy season has also declined thus rendering the land along that part of the river which used to be very rich and fertile ordinary and less fertile for agricultural activities. Though inhabitants are fishermen, Children are malnourished and infant mortality rate is high due to malnutrition and malaria. In fact more than 97% of the total populations are poor with very little options available to them to improve their living conditions in spite of the fact that the communities have important natural resources such as the Volta River and vast stretch of land at their disposal.
Their problems are further aggravated by the growth of floating aquatic weeds (FAW) such water hyacinth and water lettuce. These have restricted free movement of fishermen on the river and subsequent decrease in fish catch.

3.0 DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM

The construction of Akosombo and the Kpong Dams to provide hydro electric power to industries, homes and offices resulted in the alteration in the natural flow of the Volta River specifically the lower Volta basin. The alteration in the hydrological cycle and flow of the River has provided a conducive environment for the growth of floating aquatic weeds (FAWs) such as Eichhornia crassipes, Salvinia molesta and Pistia stratiotes with the commonest one being WATER HYACINTH - Eichhornia crassipes.

These floating aquatic weeds such as Water hyacinth, have negatively affected the water resource in yields and management to the continued existence of human riverine and wetland communities, and conservation of biodiversity of the lower Volta Basin especially in communities such as Alabonu, Torgome and Klamadaboe.

The invasion of water hyacinth, coupled with unwholesome methods such as the of carbide for fishing in these communities as well as indiscriminate cutting of the vegetation cover for fire wood and charcoal as an alternative source of livelihood has resulted in the threat of complete degradation of both the flora and fauna i.e. the biodiversity of the River Volta.

The fishing industry has significantly been affected due to the difficulties to fish via canoes on the river. Most fish are believed to hide under the floating aquatic weeds and thus making it difficult for fish harvest. Aquatic weeds compete with fish for oxygen and this limits oxygen availability to aquatic fauna.
Restricted movement on these parts of the River consequently isolate community members from nearby markets and potential buyers, health services as well as schools for the children these communities.

There have also been changes in populations of vectors of human and animal diseases such as Bilharzias and this is a major disease of the youth in these communities. Assess to health care which is in a nearby Town which one needs to travel by canoe to be attended to be relatively difficult to reach because of the massive invasion of floating aquatic weeds.

Biodiversity has over the past fifteen (15) years negatively been altered and the conservation value in the Lower Volta basin has also been affected. The reduction in fish catch in the river has resulted in extreme poverty in these farming dependant communities.
There is indeed a threat to the survival of the river and biodiversity as well as the environment along the river banks as a result of the indiscriminate cutting of trees though these activities serve as an alternative source of livelihood available to the inhabitant especially the women. Cutting of trees along the river for charcoal and firewood to sell and support the poor fishermen husbands and children has also contributed to the gradual degradation of the biodiversity and drying of the river as the green belt is removed along the river. Erosion of the banks of the river is dominant in communities close to the river and this is causing causes loss of farm lands and even housing facilities.
In fact the non existence of sustainable alternative sources of livelihood to these farming communities as well as the reduction in of fish catch as the days go by coupled with diseases has resulted in massive migration where about 60% of the youths in these communities have to travel to Kpong, Accra, Tema and Akosombo to hawk and sometimes indulge in antisocial vices such stealing and prostitution.
Water borne diseases such as bilharzias and onchosachiasis are very common in this part of the region. There is extreme poverty, the children are malnourished, the infant mortality rate is high and the youths are moving to nearby Towns and Cities for nonexistent jobs because their source of livelihood which is the Volta River is under threat and providing with little.
The socioeconomic effects of these problems are enormous as the fishermen do not get enough fish catch when they go fishing, food production such as vegetable and cassava has significantly reduced over the years due to the reduction of the rate of alluvial deposit through river flooding and loss of fertile lands.
Infant malnutrition is a common phenomenon and high infant mortality rate is very high. There is no clearly defined sustainable occupation for the youths in these communities. The young men have to travel over 20 kilometers to Asutsuare a nearby Town to work on Banana farms which earn them very little. This is even available to only those privileged to have bicycles to transport them to a certain point before crossing the river to the next Village. There is no economic activity available to the young women and these have resulted in massive migration of the youths especially the young women to nearby towns to engage in menial jobs which in most cases are degrading and antisocial such as prostitution street hawking and stealing. The communities look deserted with malnourished children, poor and sick men and women.

JUSTIFICATION

A holistic approach to reduction in growth and spread of floating aquatic weeds especially Water hyacinth and the provision of sustainable alternative livelihood projects would go along way to improve the living conditions of the inhabitants and surrounding communities.
Threat to the biodiversity in and around the Lower Volta shall be curtailed if the problem of aquatic weed invasion is stopped. Fishing and Vegetable farms shall provide food and income to farmers and their dependants. Diseases such as Bilharzias and related cases shall significantly be reduced. Improve living conditions shall ensure better food for children to solve the problem of malnutrition as well as infant mortality and poverty shall be significantly reduced.

4.0 PROJECT GOAL, OBJECTIVES & OUTPUTS

4.1 Goal

The goal of the project is to contribute to the reduction of the pollution of the Lower Volta River through the removal and efficient utilization of the water hyacinth and rehabilitation of the Volta River Basin

4.2 Specific Objectives

The specific objectives to be achieved by the end of the project period are:

i. To create awareness among the women?s groups in the Torgome traditional area of the economic potential of the aquatic weeds.
ii. To build capacity in the effective management of the aquatic weeds through training in compost production and cage aquaculture.
iii. To replant the degrade areas within the Volta Basin
iv. To assist women?s group to invest commercial production of organic vegetable and cage aquaculture.

4.3 Project Outputs

Expected project outputs are as follows:

? Capacities of women?s groups developed in efficient management of aquatic weeds and conservation practices within the Lower Volta Basin
? Women?s group assisted to invest in compost production and aquaculture developed.
? 10 ha of degraded areas within the Volta Basin rehabilitated with planted woodfuel and economic species.
? Access to credit to engage in compost production and cage aquaculture developed for trained women