Lake Bosomtwe will soon dry up – Scientists reveal
Researchers from the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) have revealed that Lake Bosomtwe, the largest natural lake in West Africa, is facing a threat from climate change and human activities.
Their study, which compares data to a baseline from 1986, indicates that the lake has been receding and drying up. Since 2005, it has receded by approximately 35 meters from its shoreline, leading to a significant decrease in water levels, a reduction in its size, and a decline in the fish population.
Lake Bosomtwe, believed to have been formed by a meteorite impact around 1.2 million years ago, measures about 8 kilometers in diameter and covers a surface area of roughly 52 kilometers.
However, over time, its depth has decreased from 800 meters to a maximum of 78 meters, and its surface area has reduced from 52 kilometers in 1986 to 46 kilometers in 2020.
This green vegetative cover was once part of the Lake Bosomtwe
The diminishing fish stock has had a profound impact on the communities along the lake, where fishing is a primary livelihood. Consequently, many residents have turned to crop farming, which involves clearing the forest cover surrounding the lake. Additionally, the use of weedicides and pesticides has led to pollution in the lake’s vicinity.
Among the concerned residents seeking solutions to the challenges facing Lake Bosomtwe is 77-year-old Patrick Elliot Ofosu, a lifelong resident of Abono.
“Some years back, about 25-years ago, the whole of this area was part of the Lake. As you see it yourself, the Lake is going back; it’s receding.”
Human activities are impacting negatively on the Lake Bosomtwe
Sediments, comprising organic matter and silt resulting from human activities and erosion, have accumulated beneath West Africa’s largest natural lake. In an initiative named “Building Resilience of Lake Bosomtwe to Climate Change (RELAB),” scientists from the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR), in collaboration with international partners from three institutions, aim to enhance the lake’s ability to withstand the impacts of climate change.
Aligned with Goal Two of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, the project envisions a world where hunger can be eradicated, ensuring food security, improved nutrition, and enhanced agriculture.
To assess the lake’s resilience to climate change, the project has employed automated measurement systems, conducted limnologic sampling, and carried out laboratory analyses. This involved gathering historical data and implementing new, high-frequency in-crater meteorological measurements, among other methods.
Members of the RELAB Team working on Lake Bosomtwe
The research findings indicate a reduction in the size of the lake, with the surface area diminishing from 52 km² to 47.17 km². This decline in size has resulted in an unprecedented drop in water levels, fish catch, and the forest cover surrounding the lake. These changes can be attributed to human activities that have occurred since 1986.
One of the adverse practices identified as detrimental to Lake Bosomtwe is the use of harmful agricultural inputs by farmers in their efforts to provide for their families.
“Its mainly because of climate change from 2005, we have seen that there’s a rapid loss of water; rapid recession of the water mark from the shoreline to the water mark.”
Dr. Sanful says there could be dire consequences if no action is taken.
“The Lake is not behaving the way that it used to be in the past. Fish catch has been going down, the people’s livelihood has been affected and their agricultural activities have been intensified as a result of their quest to support their livelihoods from farming.”
The research team remains committed to investigating the potential impacts of human activities and climate change on Lake Bosomtwe, focusing on both the forest cover that surrounds the lake.
In response to the concerns raised, particularly by residents in the affected communities, Dr. Sanful emphasized, “Our responsibility is to conduct the research and collect the data, and then engage in transferring this data to policymakers, who must subsequently incorporate this information into an action plan.”
Residents of Abono and other communities in the vicinity of Lake Bosomtwe, including Mr. Ofosu, are eager to witness the safeguarding and preservation of the lake’s integrity for the benefit of future generations.
“The whole of this place was waterlogged some years back. But look at the speed at which it is receding. So something must be done,” 77-year old native of Abono, Patrick Elliot Frimpong appealed.
theindependentghana.com
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