Densu River

Densu River
Location
CountryGhana
Physical characteristics
MouthAtlantic Ocean
 • coordinates
5°31′0″N 0°19′0″W / 5.51667°N 0.31667°W / 5.51667; -0.31667
Length116 km (72 mi)
Basin size2,490 km2 (960 sq mi)
Discharge 
 • locationMouth
Designations
Official nameDensu Delta Ramsar Site
Designated14 August 1992
Reference no.564[1]
Estuary
Meander

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

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

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]

  • 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

  1. ^ "Densu Delta Ramsar Site". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. ^ "Protecting Atewa Forest". Ghana | A Rocha. 2015-07-13. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
  3. ^ "Wetlands | Habitats | WWF". World Wildlife Fund. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
  4. ^ Ghana: Rivers and Lakes
  5. ^ "Densuano Street in Koforidua - Eastern Region - AfricaLocal.net". www.africalocal.net. Retrieved 2019-05-18.
  6. ^ Welsing, Kobina. "Residents stranded as Weija Dam spillage floods homes | Starr Fm". Retrieved 2019-05-18.
  7. ^ "Densu Delta Ramsar Site and vicinity". BirdLife Data Zone. BirdLife International. 2024. Retrieved 2024-11-16.
  8. ^ "River Basin Activities". Water Resources Commission of Ghana. Archived from the original on 2008-11-20. Retrieved 2008-09-28.
  9. ^ "River Densu chokes on dumped refuse". BusinessGhana. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  10. ^ "Environment Ministry to include traditional rulers on Densu committee". www.graphic.com.gh. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  11. ^ "Densu Delta Ramsar Site". Ghana-Net.com. Retrieved 2019-05-22.
  12. ^ "Densu by Kojo Antwi on Apple Music". iTunes. Retrieved 2016-07-17.
  13. ^ "Densu by Osibisa". YouTube. Archived from the original on 2021-06-24. Retrieved 2019-02-27.


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