Densu River
| Densu River | |
|---|---|
 | |
 | |
| Location | |
| Country | Ghana |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mouth | Atlantic Ocean |
• coordinates | 5°31′0″N 0°19′0″W / 5.51667°N 0.31667°W |
| Length | 116 km (72 mi) |
| Basin size | 2,490 km2 (960 sq mi) |
| Discharge | |
| • location | Mouth |
| Designations | |
|---|---|
| Official name | Densu Delta Ramsar Site |
| Designated | 14 August 1992 |
| Reference no. | 564[1] |
The Densu River is a 116 km long river in Ghana rising in the Atewa Range.[2] It flows through an economically important agricultural region, supplies half the drinking water to Ghana's capital city of Accra. The river ends in an ecologically significant wetland delta[3] on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.[4] The Densuano[5] Dam and Weija Dam[6] are situated on the Densu River.
Environment
[edit]The delta has been designated a Ramsar site as a wetland of international importance. It has also been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports significant populations of non-breeding and wintering waterbirds, especially terns, including western reef egrets, spotted redshanks, and little, black, roseate, common, Sandwich and royal terns.[7]
Threats
[edit]The population density of the Densu Basin is approximately 240 persons per square kilometre.[8] Part of the Densu River has become a dumping site by some residents in the area, causing water pollution. Other activities include farming, sand mining and quarrying.[9][10][11]
In popular culture
[edit]- Ghanaian artist Kojo Antwi named his second studio album, released in 2002, after the river.[12]
- Osibisa, an Afrobeat band, composed a song titled Densu, explaining about the different varieties of fishes and the song the fishermen sing.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ "Densu Delta Ramsar Site". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
- ^ "Protecting Atewa Forest". Ghana | A Rocha. 2015-07-13. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Wetlands | Habitats | WWF". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ Ghana: Rivers and Lakes
- ^ "Densuano Street in Koforidua - Eastern Region - AfricaLocal.net". www.africalocal.net. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ Welsing, Kobina. "Residents stranded as Weija Dam spillage floods homes | Starr Fm". Retrieved 2019-05-18.
- ^ "Densu Delta Ramsar Site and vicinity". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
- ^ "River Basin Activities". Water Resources Commission of Ghana. Archived from the original on 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
- ^ "River Densu chokes on dumped refuse". BusinessGhana. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
- ^ "Environment Ministry to include traditional rulers on Densu committee". www.graphic.com.gh. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
- ^ "Densu Delta Ramsar Site". Ghana-Net.com. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
- ^ "Densu by Kojo Antwi on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
- ^ "Densu by Osibisa". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2019-02-27.
