| Country | Ghana |
|---|---|
| Length | 116 km (72 mi) |
| Discharge1 location | Mouth |
| Mouth | Atlantic Ocean |
| Mouth coordinates | 5°31′0″N 0°19′0″W |
The Densu River is a 116 km long river in Ghana rising in the Atewa Range.[1] 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[2] on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean.[3] The Densuano[4] Dam and Weija Dam[5] 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.[6]
Threats
The population density of the Densu Basin is approximately 240 persons per square kilometre.[7] 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.[8][9][10]
In popular culture
- Ghanaian artist Kojo Antwi named his second studio album, released in 2002, after the river.[11]
- Osibisa, an Afrobeat band, composed a song titled Densu, explaining about the different varieties of fishes and the song the fishermen sing.[12]
References
- ^ "Protecting Atewa Forest". Ghana | A Rocha. 2015-07-13. Archived from the original on 2019-05-18. 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". Archived from the original on 2019-05-18. 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". Daily Graphic. 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.