The government has rehabilitated two irrigation dams for the Dua community in the Bongo District and Kpeluwega-Kpwigo in the Bawku West District of the Upper East Region to promote all year-round agricultural activities.

Additionally, fenced gardens have also been prepared and given out to the people to engage in dry season farming at separate hand-over ceremonies held last Tuesday.

This is part of the implementation of a climate resilience and livelihood improvement project dubbed, “Increased resilience to climate change in Northern Ghana through the management of water resources and diversification of livelihoods.”  

It is being carried out by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and funded by the Adaptation Fund Board.

The Chief Director at MESTI, Mrs Cynthia Asare Bediako, on Tuesday disclosed that the project was being implemented in the then Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions to build the resilience and adaptive capacity of rural communities to the impact of climate change and risk on water resources.

The project involves the drilling of boreholes, dry season gardening, beekeeping, tree planting, establishment of agro-processing facilities, fish farming and irrigation dams rehabilitation, among others.

Apart from the dam wall being increased in both width and length and the dam reservoir de-silted to contain more water up to three metres, the up and down streams, the inlet and outlet chambers have also been rehabilitated with vetiver grass planted at the down slop to provide protection to the embankment.

Mrs Bediako explained that Ghana had over the years experienced adverse climate change impacts such as droughts, erratic rainfall, bushfires and floods, and the situation threatened food security and livelihoods of the vulnerable.

 “It is our hope that this rehabilitated dam serves its purpose. I will like to call on the chief and people of Dua to make judicious use of the dam to improve on the livelihood of our people, improve food security and minimise the rate of migration of our abled youth to the south,” she added.

Mr Peter Dery, the Adapation Fund Project Coordinator, noted that the Dua community had benefitted from the rehabilitation of irrigation dam, dry season gardening, tree planting, fish farming and boreholes.

Mr Mustapha Adam, the Bongo District Coordinating Director, advised the beneficiaries to maintain the dam to last and achieve its intended purpose.

Mr Emmanuel Akolbire, a resident, lauded the project and noted that Dua, a farming community with a population of about 8,000 people and had over the years depended on the dam to engage in farming activities, especially during the dry season.  However, due to the breaking down of canals and laterals, dam walls and silt issues, it could no longer contain enough water to serve its purpose.

He said the rehabilitation of the dam would go a long way to help the people engage in meaningful activities, especially during the dry season to improve upon their livelihoods.

According to him, among the many dams that have been rehabilitated under the Adaptation Fund Project, some are located at Nabugaan in the Nandom District of Upper West Region, Welembelle in the Sessala East District of Upper West, of Tarsaw-Kulfou.