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Sustainable Eco-Tourism Development in Ghana: A Case Study of Lake Bosumtwi
Sustainable Eco-Tourism Development in Ghana: A Case Study of Lake Bosumtwi
DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING
ABDUL-GANIYU ADAMS
JUNE 2003
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CHAPTER ONE
ECO-TOURISM AND DEVELOPMENT
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Eco-tourism offers a tremendous opportunity to provide a less consumptive source of
income from natural resources, improved local standards of living, foster cultural
exchange and understanding and promote bio-diversity conservation. This view is upheld
by IUCN (1996) which stated that ecotourism: "...is environmentally responsible travel
and visitation to relatively undisturbed natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate
nature (and any accompanying cultural features - both past and present) that promotes
conservation, has low negative visitor impact, and provides for beneficially active socio-
economic involvement of local populations."
Gunn (1994) sees tourism as encompassing all travel with the exception of commuting."
McIntosh and Goeldner (1986) say that "tourism can be defined as the science, art, and
business of attracting and transporting visitors, accommodating them, and graciously
catering to their needs and wants. Tourism according to Mieczkowski (1995) since the
Second World War has grown at an unprecedented pace faster than most other economic
sectors and has developed into arguably the world‟s largest industry. Its contribution to
the economies of nations is in the areas of providing employment and earning foreign
exchange, which for Ghana ranks only behind cocoa exports revenue.
Ecotourism has been marketed as a form of nature-based tourism, but it has also been
studied as a sustainable development tool by NGOs, development experts and academics
since 1990. The term ecotourism, therefore, refers on one hand to a concept based on a
set of principles, and on the other hand to a specific market segment. The International
Ecotourism Society in 1991 produced one of the earliest definitions: "ecotourism is
responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and sustains the well
being of local people."
Thus it is a development strategy, which can help in the attainment of local development,
however the activities of man is impeding the growth of eco-tourism and its obvious
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benefits to the local economy and the nation as a whole.In June 1992, with much pomp,
leaders of 178 nations gathered in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil for the Earth Summit, with the
goal of mobilising, coordinating and financing international action on an ambitious
agenda to help preserve and protect the global environment. At the earth summit several
treaties and conventions were signed by nations promoting sustainable development.
However the so-called road from Rio has turned out to be a lost highway. This is
manifested in the situation where massive areas of woodland and forest are falling to the
chain saw, while countries are haggling over terms of treaties. Further, agreement and
conventions forged are not being fully implemented (Time Magazine, Special Edition
Nov.1997). Though Ghana is a signatory to conventions and treaties on protecting
biodiversity, endangered species, tropical forests, wetlands, and the ozone layer,
deforestation, overgrazing, and periodic drought have led to desertification and soil
erosion. Ghana‟s wildlife populations, depleted by habitat loss, are further threatened by
poaching.
In the late 19th century, in the then Gold Coast, hardwood forests covered the southern
half of the country. Considerable portions of these once-extensive forests have been
destroyed, and today about 39.7 percent (estimated in 1995) of the country is forested.
Not all of these forests are commercially viable, however about 1.3 percent (1990-1996)
of the remaining forest is lost every year (Encarta 2003). According to Inkoom (1999)
it is widely acknowledged that Ghana is losing its forests resources rapidly due to
unsustainable exploitation and poor farming practices.
economic sector and the second leading foreign exchange earner, by increasing tourists
arrivals to one million by the year 2007 (Daily Graphic, Monday May 20.)
However the focus of the nation has been lob-sided, as emphasis has most often been
placed on historical or heritage, cultural and conference tourism, with little emphasis on
ecological tourism, though it helps preserve ecological processes, bio diversity and
biological resources and promotes improved land use patterns and environmental
consciousness due to its heavy reliance on the afore-mentioned natural processes and
resources and its inherent advantages of ensuring the development of the local economy.
The eco-tourism sub-sector mainly relies on the preservation of natural phenomena and
resources to attract tourist into the country to generate the required foreign exchange and
play the role it has been allotted in national development. This is to be done in a situation
of continuous plunder of the natural resource base of the country, a factor that might
hinder the performance of the sub-sector.
Hence, any attraction that has been earmarked for development in the drive to promote
tourism needs to be assessed for its viability and sustainability over time. The Lake
Bosumtwi basin, has been a tourism attraction for a long time with very little research
being conducted on its sustenance and for how long it can be relied on to attract tourists.
Inability to conduct research on the sustainability of the attraction may result in
overstepping the capacity of the attraction which results in eco-tourism destroying the
environment and hence eco-tourism.
for Nature define sustainable development as “improving the quality of life while living
in the carrying capacity of supporting eco-systems.”(ICUN/UNEP/WWF, 1991)
1.2 OBJECTIVE
The main purpose of this special study was to assess the sustainability of the Lake
Bosumtwi as an ecological tourism destination in terms of social, environmental and
economic sustainability, which constitutes the three principles of sustainable
development. Being one of the few ecological tourism sites in the country, its
sustainability would in a way determine the overall sustainability of the tourism sector,
which is taking centre stage in generating revenue for the country. Thus, the objectives of
this study are outlined as follows:
i. To assess the socio-economic impact of eco-tourism on the people in the lake area.
ii. To assess the cultural impact of eco-tourism in the communities.
iii. To assess the environmental impact of eco-tourism development in the lake area.
iv. To assess the general sustainability of the site based on the prevailing socio-
economic and environmental conditions in the lake basin.
1.3 SCOPE
The study is limited to the communities in the Lake Bosumtwi basin and the development
of the lake into an ecological tourism destination and its subsequent impact on the socio-
cultural and economic lives of the people.
males and nine females in each of the settlements. The sample size was obtained by using
a formula deduced by Achinah (2001), which is presented below:
N 23615
1 N ( e) 2 1 23615(0.05) 2
n n n 88
h 4.5
CHAPTER TWO
ECO-TOURISM: CONCEPT AND ISSUES
2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW
This part of the study deals with the amount of research work that has been carried out on
the field of study and the institutions that have been involved in the promotion of ideas in
the eco-tourism sub-sector.
Gunn (1994) believes that tourism "encompasses all travel with the exception of
commuting." McIntosh and Goeldner (1986) say that "tourism can be defined as the
science, art, and business of attracting and transporting visitors, accommodating them,
and graciously catering to their needs and wants." They also introduce the notion that
tourism is interactive in that they believe that "tourism may be defined as the sum of the
phenomena and relationships arising from the interaction of tourists, business suppliers,
host governments, and host communities in the process of attracting and hosting these
tourists and other visitors (p. 4). D'Amore (1987), Taylor (1988), and Dann (1988) say
that tourism is not only an interactive process but also a vehicle for world peace.
Contrary to the opinions expressed above, Nash (1989, pp. 37-52) views tourism as a
"form of imperialism." He sees it as a dichotomy of the have and the have nots with
lesser developed countries serving the pleasures of the more developed countries. For the
purpose of this study tourism was considered to be attracting visitors and catering for
their needs and promoting interaction between the host communities and the visitors for
mutual benefit.
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Tourism is one of the country‟s expanding service activities. The most important tourist
destinations are the colonial fortresses at Cape Coast and Elmina, which were once major
transhipment points for tens of thousands of slaves on their way to the New World.
Tourism in Ghana can be traced to the first visit of Don Diego d‟Azambuja when he set
his foot on the shores of Elmina, then known as Edina in search of spices and other exotic
things not found in his own country Portugal. Since then tourism has grown to assume
great dimensions to encompass heritage or cultural, historical, conference and ecological
tourism.
Ghana has become a destination for almost all forms of tourism, as is evidenced in the
holding of the African-African-American Summit, the Homecoming Summit all falling
under conference tourism. Also, the Pan-African Arts Festival which is held biennially
helps some people in the Americas trace their roots and constitutes heritage tourism.
Historical tourism is one area that Ghana has been noted for worldwide, being home to
twenty-nine of the thirty-two castles and forts the Europeans used in the obnoxious slave
trade. These forts are widely visited by the African-American who find the experience
traumatic. These include the Elmina and Cape Coast Castles in the Central Region.
There are four unique attractions in the country, located in four different regions, which
draw a large number of tourists annually, both local and foreign. These are; the Kakum
National Park, with its canopy walkway, suspended about a hundred feet above the forest
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floor, which is one of the three canopy walkways in the world. It is home to some
endangered bird and animal species including Diana monkeys, Frazer-eagle owls, the
African grey and Senegal parrots, elephants, bongos and the red river hog. In the Western
Region, tourists can visit Nzulezu, a town built completely on stilts above water in a
marshy area.
In the Ashanti Region is the country‟s only natural lake, Bosumtwi located in a crater
amidst lush green hills, which is one of the seven meteor impact lakes in the world.
The Mole Game Reserve established in 1971 and covering 1,870 square miles and home
to ninety-three mammals including lions, elephants, baboons, Mona monkeys, buffaloes,
hartebeests, warthogs and hippopotamuses, nine species of amphibians and thirty-three
species of reptiles is found in the Northern Region.
Since the late 1980s the tourism sector has received considerable attention in the
economic development strategy of Ghana. The numbers of tourist arrivals, as well as
expenditure by tourists have steadily increased, while both public and private investment
activity in various tourism sub-sectors have expanded.
The adoption of the Ghana Industrial Code, (1985) PNDCL 116, marked a serious start to
tourism development in Ghana. The code offered concessions, incentives and guarantees
to foreign investors, financiers, Ghanaian institutions and business entrepreneurs who
wanted to invest in Tourism in Ghana. In 1987, the government adopted the National
Tourism Policy, with the objectives of developing tourism to become a major contributor
to the economy, through job creation and foreign exchange generation and to make
tourism the bedrock of development and enhance Ghana environment and heritage.
The government established a Ministry of Tourism in 1993, now Ministry of Tourism and
Modernisation of the Capital, to underscore its commitment to tourism development, and
with assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the
World Tourism Organisation (WTO), has prepared a 15-Year Tourism Development Plan
for the period 1996 to 2010. The goals of this plan are outlined as follows:-
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1. To lay the foundation for the qualitative takeoff of the tourism industry.
2. Develop an integrated tourism product and a positive image of Ghana as a
destination.
3. Enhance visitor satisfaction and increase Ghana‟s share of the tourism market.
4. Promote leisure, travel as a major form of recreation among Ghana‟s populace.
5. Maximize the contribution of tourism to the economy in terms of foreign
exchange and job creation.
6. Promote tourism as an option for rural development and national integration.
To be able to attain the above goals, and for ease of implementation, some strategies were
drawn up, which ultimately leads to the goals. Principal among the strategies are the
following:
1. Reviewing and updating of tourism policies to reflect ongoing trends and the
growing importance of tourism to the economy
2. Reviewing the organisational structure of tourism administration especially the
Ghana Tourist Board
3. Enhancing the tourism product through-
a. Enhancing selected tourism attractions based on heritage, ecological, ethno,
adventure, conference and recreational tourism.
b. Upgrading the standard of existing receptive facilities.
c. Developing the basic infrastructure of tourism
d. Reviewing visa requirement for tourists
4. Recognizing the possible negative impacts of intensive tourism development on
the environment, culture and applying measures to conserve historic sires, the
natural environment and cultural traditions.
5. Enhancing delivery capacities of the public and private sector tourism institutions.
The decision to promote the tourism sector to play a leading role in the development of
the country has been backed by action in various forms like fairs and conferences such as
the Pan-African Fair for Arts and Music (PAFAM), PANAFEST- a biennial arts festival
and the African-African American Summit. With the implementation of these strategies,
the sector is expected to grow and play a leading role in the growth of the economy. The
performance of the tourism sector over the years is presented in Table1
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Spanning the period of 1985 to 1989, Ghana moved up from the seventeenth position to
eighth in 1998 among the top 20 leading tourism revenue earners in Africa (WTO, 1999).
Table 1 shows that international tourist arrivals in Ghana has increased steadily from
nearly 114,000 in 1988 to about 399,000 in 2000, at an annual average growth rate of
about 20 percent. With respect to tourist's expenditure, international tourism receipts
grew at an average annual rate of 41.3 percent from about $55.3 million in 1988 to about
$386.0 million in 2000. This makes Tourism the third largest earner of foreign exchange
currently, ranking behind mineral and cocoa exports.
However the focus of the nation has been lob-sided, as emphasis has most often been
placed on historical and cultural tourism, with little emphasis on ecological tourism,
though it helps preserve ecological processes, bio diversity and biological resources and
promotes improved land use patterns and environmental consciousness due to its heavy
reliance on the afore-mentioned natural processes and resources. Hence in an effort to
save the natural environment, the 15-year Tourism Development Plan has identified
several national parks in each of the country's ten regions. These will be developed to
form the basis for the country‟s eco-tourism product component of the tourism industry.
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The United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) encourages and coordinates sound
environmental practices throughout the world. It grapples with ways to approach
environmental problems on an international level, provides expertise to member
countries, monitors environmental conditions worldwide, develops environmental
standards, and recommends alternative energy sources. UNEP‟s work is guided by
principles adopted at the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development, also
known as the Earth Summit. The summit, which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, was
the largest such conference ever held, attracting with more than 100 national leaders. It
was the third international environmental conference hosted by the UN.
The 1992 Earth Summit was larger and more ambitious than its predecessors. Its major
theme was sustainable economic development, meaning development that does not use
up or destroy so many of the world‟s natural resources that it cannot be sustained over
time. The meeting produced an overall plan, called Agenda 21, in which large developing
countries promised to develop their industries with an eye toward protecting the
environment. Another treaty adopted at the 1992 Earth Summit deals with the issue of
biodiversity—that is, the variety of different living organisms in a particular habitat or
geographic location. Under the treaty, nations agreed to preserve important habitats for
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animals and plants. Wealthier countries also agreed to pay for the right to extract
commercially profitable substances from rare species in protected areas of developing
countries. It is in this vein that the UNDP, an agency of the United Nations aided the
Ministry of Tourism to draw up the 15-Year National Tourism Development Plan, with
the aim of conserving the environment as well as preserving tourism sites.
The benefits derived from the tourism industry by the lake area has mostly been in terms
of monetary rewards for services provided for tourists and the increase in infrastructural
facilities to support the communities in general and tourists in particular. This has taken
the form of improved telecommunication facilities, improved road network, connecting
almost twenty-two settlements in the Lake Bosumtwi Basin, and educational facilities.
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CHAPTER THREE
DATA PRESENTATION AND ANALYSIS
3.0 Introduction
This part of the report is concerned with the presentation of data collected concerning the
lake as an eco-tourism destination and its people.
According to Ofosu (2002), detailed work on the Bosumtwi crater by Jones (1981, 1985)
has concluded from his chemical data, the main rocks that were involved in the
production of the Bosumtwi impact glasses as well as Tektites were Phylites, greywacke,
micro granites and grandiosities, Pepekese intrusions. The profile of the crater shows a
crater with an upraised centre, and is shown in Figure 1
17
Livingstone (1976) was able to unearth the reasons for the extermination of thousands of
fish in the months of July and August, and attributed it to the gas produced during and
after the decomposition of plant materials that are dumped by rain water in the lake. It
also explained the variation in the fishing season, as fish move to the shallow parts of the
lake for oxygen in these months, resulting in bumper catches. Further, research by Dr.
D.A Livingstone from the University Of Durham, USA revealed a mass deposit of gas in
economic quantities, under the lake, but warned of serious effects of exploration on plant
and animal life in the lake.
The communities in the lake basin are Abono, Pipie I (Mim), Pipie II, New and Old
Brodekwano are under Kuntanasehene, Amakom, under Akokofohene, Dompa under
Ahurienhene, Duase, Ankaase, Anomanako and Obo under Kokofuhene (Okogyeasuo
Offe Kwasi), Antaase, Apew, Detieso, Wawase and Esaase under Asamanhene (the real
caretaker of the lake), Adwafo under Yaasehene, Abaase, Abrodwum, Adjaman under
Abosohene, Nkowi and Assisiriwa under Nana Yaw Barima. There is however a
controversy of the caretakership of Nkowi between the Yaasehene and Nana Yaw
Barimah. This issue is yet to be resolved.
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It will be of immense benefit t the lake area in general and to eco-tourism development in
particular that peace prevails in the communities to enhance the attractiveness of the lake.
This is because no meaningful development can occur in the midst of civil strive and
unrest. Also, under a stable political or traditional head, it will be easier mobilizing the
people to help in the conservation of the lake.
Puberty rites used to be widely practiced in the Bosumtwi Basin, and were a prerequisite
for marriage; however with the passage of time, the practice is waning. Funerals,
marriages and out-dooring of newly- born babies are the same as that practiced by
Ashantis elsewhere festivals are observed in all the villages with the Akwasidae as the
main one. The caretaker chiefs known locally as adikro in the communities, are allowed
by the paramount chiefs to ride in palanquins during festival celebrations
Fetish groves are also outdoored at every Akwasidae and purification rites are performed
according to the choice of the fetish priests. Some slaughter sheep, dogs, cats and goats to
their gods. Others present mashed plantain with groundnuts. Belief in superstition used to
be very strong in the area, but with the advent of Christianity is gradually being dropped.
The fetish stone at Abrodwum served as a libation point when bad omen occurred and
also during festivals. It is said that when the lake draws nearer to the stone, rituals are
performed in the form of pouring of libations and the lake recedes.
The caretaker chiefs have their own traditional courts of arbitration which tried offenders
in minor cases like stealing and assault, and fines are usually imposed on the convicted
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offenders. Those who are dissatisfied with the ruling of the minor courts can appeal to the
court of the paramount chiefs (Amanhene) for redress. Chiefs as usual speak only through
linguists (Akyeame).
The tourism industry necessarily brings together people of diverse cultures to interact.
However one of the tenets of eco-tourism is preservation of local traditions and culture,
thus it becomes necessary to ensure that the activities of tourists do not in any way pose a
threat to the preservation of local culture or does not in any way attempt to adulterate it.
This is not the case of the Lake Bosumtwi, as tourists are not in any way controlled and
stray where they are not wanted, and engage in activities that are contrary to the norms of
the people. It must be noted that most of the foreign tourists who visit the lake are
students and conservationist and thus acknowledge the need to as much as possible leave
the culture of the local people untouched and hence authentic.
However the local tourists, and for that matter Ghanaian tourist to the lake are causing
discomfort to the people as the youth are being exposed to indecent lifestyles portrayed
by these local tourists who should have known better. A case in point is the display of
nudity in public and an abhorrent activity of having sex in the lake in the full view of
other tourists and the local people. This is a situation may result in rebellious youth and
increase vice in the communities.
Thus, after the tourists have left, they would have left behind, a community in disarray
due to their influence on the youth and subsequent clash of culture between the older
generation‟s lifestyle and the youth‟s adulterated culture. This is contrary to the definition
presented by Allen (1993), which emphasizes that eco-tourism practice minimises the
environmental and cultural impacts of visitors.
majority being females, accounting for fifty-one percent of the population. The age-sex
distribution of the population is presented in Table 2.
The implication of having a higher age dependency ratio is that there is a greater
likelihood of having less disposable income to save and thus invest. This is because
income earned will most likely be used to cater for the large number of dependants.
Hence, savings in the communities of the Lake Bosumtwi basin is expected to be low and
subsequently capital formation for investment is also going to be low. This probably
explains the low level of economic activities in the area.
22
The survey covered eighty-eight households and encompassed 449 people, indicating an
average household size of 5.1 people per household; however it was realized that the
modal household size is four. The distribution of the population, based on household
sizes is presented in Table 4.
TABLE 4: HOUSEHOLD SIZES
Household Size ( x ) Respondents ( f ) ( fx )
1 8 8
2 4 8
3 9 27
4 26 104
5 9 45
6 8 48
7 10 70
8 8 64
9 0 0
10 0 0
11 0 0
12 6 72
TOTAL ∑f =88 ∑fx=449
Source: Field Survey, 2003 Average House hold size =∑fx/∑f
449/88 = 5.1 people per household
From the survey conducted, the employment rate for the lake basin stands at ninety-two
percent with the remaining eight percent unemployed being students and people under
apprenticeship. Due to the nature of inputs used in their economic activities, it is very
easy for people to get into the occupations.
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The main occupation, fishing in the lake started with a crude method of fishing, using
raffia cane to make the net used for fishing. These raffia cane nets did not last long and
had to be replaced very often. Then bamboo was used with both ends open to allow fish
into it , which was then trapped these methods are said to have persisted until 1927 when
some fishermen from Senya- Breku in the Ewutu-Efutu-Senya District in the Central
region migrated to the area and introduced the wire netting and cast netting. The
fishermen use palm fronds as bait, forming a fence with it in the lake and setting the net
in it. After some days, the palm fronds decay and produce food in the form of greenish
algae for the fish which are trapped when they approach the fronds. The popular variety
of fish found in the lake include Tilapia discolour, known locally as Kaabre, Satheroden
mutifaciatus, Tilapia busmana, Hemichromis faciatus and Barbus, known locally as
„Apatefufuo‟, „Papari‟, „Komfo‟, and „Nkwa‟ respectively.
Attempts to introduce net specifications have not been fruitful, leading to a situation
where even fingerlets (young fishes) are not spared by the fishing net, a practice which is
partly responsible for the depletion of the fish stock in the lake.
The irresponsible behaviour of some fishermen in deciding to do away with the required
net specification might in the long run deplete the fish stock in the lake and greatly offset
the ecological balance in the area. Economically, it might lead to increased poverty level
and general deprivation. Eco-tourism will come to an end, should this happen, as a result
of the decreased attractiveness and uniqueness.
The communities provide little service to tourists, thus gains very little from the
attraction. This is mostly earned by the craftsmen engaged in basket weaving in the lake
area, and the boat operators, who transport tourist on the lake for sight seeing.
Visitors to the lake area mostly carry their own food and water and do not depend on the
communities for the supply of their needs. Most of the local tourists to the area visit on
public holidays in large groups and usually bring along all they need and stay only for a
day. Foreign visitors to the area are mostly students and people interested in the scientific
nature of the attraction and usually lodge at the Hotel, where they are provided for. This
group of people conduct research and spend very little on other things and to a large
extent have little impact on the local economy.
The economic activities carried out in the lake area are all seasonal in nature and thus
earnings fluctuate with the seasons. The effect being that the standard of living in the area
is not stable; it rises and falls with the seasons. The fishing season last between July and
September, whiles the farming season also lasts between April and October, with the
fishing season breaking into it.
The twenty four communities have three KVIPS and nineteen pit latrines, which due to
the high soil water content are unreliable as they cave in regularly and have to be
relocated frequently. Hence majority of the people defecate indiscriminately along the
slopes and into the streams leading into the lake, a situation which has led to poor
sanitation and increasing prevalence of dysentery, diarrhoea, cholera and also malaria.
Due to the apparent lack of adequate potable water sources and the consequent use of
water from the lake and the streams, indiscriminate defecation on the slopes of the crater
results in faeces being washed into the water sources by runoff water from rainfall.
3.6.2 Health
There are three clinics and a dressing station in the lake area. However, almost all
medical cases are reported to the Catholic Hospital in Pramso. The Catholic Hospital also
provides mobile health service to the communities and helped train traditional birth
attendants to assist pregnant women in the course of delivery. The leading diseases
reported by respondents are sanitation-related like diarrhoea and cholera. Currently, the
Hospital is providing maternal health service to the communities.
3.6.3 Education
There are nine nursery schools, nine primary schools and five junior secondary schools
located within the twenty four communities. In settlements with no schools, pupils walk
to the nearest community with a school to attend school, covering an average distance of
about two kilometers.
Of the sample population covered, 67.5 percent have attained formal education up to the
primary level, 7.6 percent up to secondary level and 2.9 up to tertiary level. 22.1 percent
of the population have no formal education whatsoever, and illiteracy rate is estimated in
the twenty-four communities is 60 percent, indicating that not all the people who had
formal education can read and write in English or any of the Ghanaian languages, mainly
due to dropping out of school along the line. Educational attainment of respondents and
members of their households is presented below in Table 6.
26
The tourism industry has not opened the area fully, with only Abono being connected by
a road in good condition to Kuntanase, the district capital. All the other twenty-three
communities are connected together by a ring road in a deplorable situation. The ring
road is not surfaced and not motorable in the rainy season, hampering health care
delivery by the Mobile Health Team (MHT) from the Catholic Hospital in Pramso.
However visits by the MHT are frequent when the roads become motorable.
In terms of basic education, the existing facilities are inadequate, in terms of quantity,
and quality. There are nine Primary Schools with a threshold population of 2000,
indicating they are meant to provide for a population of 18,000, indicating a backlog of
over 5000 people, who need three more Primary Schools. There are three junior
secondary schools in the twenty-four communities. With a threshold population of 2500,
the three schools are meant to cater for 7500 people, and thus has a backlog of over
15000 people who need at least six more junior secondary schools. There is no second
cycle institution in the lake area, hampering the acquisition of higher education and skills,
which are prerequisites in development.
Water; though present in a large quantity, though not potable, thus making potable water
inadequate in terms of supply in the communities. This forces the people to use water
from the lake and its tributaries, increasing the incidence of water and sanitation related
diseases like cholera and diarrhoea. This situation creates a negative image of the lake
area and may scare off tourists.
27
He however met another farmer called Ntookooko, who claimed to have discovered the
lake and was staying at Kwaakyeman in the south-eastern part of the lake. They lived
peacefully together until a misunderstanding ensued between them, which escalated into
a large scale war between the Ashantis and the Akims for approximately two weeks. The
Ashanti forces comprising of people from Akokofe, Kuntanase, Kokofu, Ahurien, Aboso
and Asaman eventually emerged victorious and the chiefs who led the people in the war
asked their subjects to settle along the crater to forestall any comeback attempt by the
Akims.
In the olden days, it was an abomination to throw any metallic object into the lake and
offenders were severely sanctioned, including being prevented from fishing in the lake
for some time and pacification of the gods with Schnapps (an alcoholic drink) and sheep.
Metal hooks and wire netting were not used in fishing due to this belief. Women in their
menstrual period were forbidden to bathe in the lake, and were said to continue bleeding
even after their period should have ended until libation was poured to appease the gods.
28
The fetish groves or shrines in the area are said to help some of the people by solving
their problems, especially with regards to provision of children, after which the children
are sent to the groves for purification and sheep presented to the grove or shrine.
Some of these fetish groves and shrines are „Osere Ka‟, „Gyaabour’, „Kyerapete‟,
„Taakwaku‟ and the Abrodwum stone.
Some superstitious beliefs are hinged on some observations and help preserve culture,
thus prevailing ones in the lake basin have to be left intact until the people grow out of
them voluntarily, if they realize its uselessness. The ancient belief of the gods abhorring
any kind of vessels on the lake apart from the „padua‟ might have saved the lake‟s fish
stock from being depleted through the use of boats and fishing trawlers, that have more
room for cargo, in this case fish. The depletion of the fish stock may end the useful life of
the lake as a source of livelihood and an eco-tourism destination.
According to local fishermen, the fish caught in the lake is also reducing considerably
and attributed the phenomenon to the silting of the lake. This is probably a result of
farming along the slopes of the crater, which loosens the topsoil, which are washed down
into the lake during rainfall. The silt is said to cover the reeds and stumps, where the fish
lay their eggs, reducing the fish population and destroying the reeds locally known as
„enere‟
29
Livingstone (1976) unearthed the reason for the extermination of thousands of fish,
which he attributed to the toxic gases produced from the decomposition of organic matter
(usually leaves and twigs) washed into the lake. This phenomenon is still occurring
during the months of July and August, thus the fishing season lasts between July and
August. This is because, diffusion of oxygen in the lake causes the fish to stay in the
shallow parts of the lake, where they are easily caught in large numbers during this
period. In the subsequent months, when the distribution of oxygen in the lake becomes
even, the fish move to deeper parts of the lake, ushering in the lean season for fishermen.
Also indiscriminate defecation along the banks and slopes of the crater, coupled with the
increasing sippage of household chemicals, soaps and untreated sewage into the lake can
increase the organic load of the lake, a situation which can adversely affect the lake.
From earlier scientific research, the lake is said to be eutrophic, haven supported blue-
green algae growth between 3000 and 9000 years ago, and the resurgence of these
dangerous aquatic weeds such as Eschoraticia crasippes (Water Hyacinth) may hamper
the development of eco-tourism in the lake are, as it emits a pungent and poisonous odour
and causes intense itching on the body of swimmers.
3.9 Management
The Ghana Tourist Board manages activities at the lake, being one of the tourist
attractions in the country. The communities are to a limited extent involved in the
management of the lake, mostly in the physical preservation of the lake. Through the
efforts of Friends of the Earth, all the communities have local units comprising of Sixteen
members of each community, that are undertaking periodic tree planting exercises along
the banks.
30
Some of the members of the communities also act as life guards at the lake, to guide
mostly tourists who want a dip without the threat of crocodiles and to rescue those in
distress. This activity is an unpaid service, and thus voluntary.
In terms of decision making about the lake, the locals are only informed of decisions
taken through their assembly persons and unit committees. Out of the eighty-eight people
interviewed, only ten reported of haven heard of the plans of the Ghana Tourist Board to
turn the lake area into a Natural and Science Museum and an Eco-tourism Park.
The low level of involvement of the local community in the management of the site is
resulting in a situation where the people feel isolated from the projects being
implemented by the Ghana Tourist Board and the BAKD. Also the people see the
utilisation of the lake to generate revenue for the District as depriving them of the chance
to benefit from the lake apart from fishing and apparently do not feel the spread effects of
developments in the district. This is a result of the general apparent neglect of the lake
area in terms of the provision of basic infrastructure.
In managing the tourist site, the Ghana Tourist Board encounters several problems, most
of which is beyond their capacity to overcome or address. This includes the apparent
inadequacy of transport facilities to constantly monitor the site, coupled with the absence
of a local secretariat to bring the institution closer to the attraction, with its office
currently located in Kumasi.
The Ghana Tourist Board has very little control over the activities of tourist who visit the
lake, especially Ghanaians, and as such finds it difficult to control their activities, some
of which are contrary to the lifestyle or culture of the indigenous people. These activities
include washing with soap in the lake and indecent public nudity. There have been
reports of pilferage and muggings of tourists in the lake area, though they are isolated
issues. Also the GTB is finding it difficult to stop the deforestation process around the
crater, as the people clear the land for cultivation of food crops.
31
As part the project, a secretariat is to be set up to administer the Natural and Science
Museum and Eco-tourism Park. The secretariat is to be responsible for the preparation
and dissemination of detailed scientific information profile to attract the attention of the
world scientific community and international donor agencies for further research as a
development guide. It is also charged with the responsibility of conducting land surveys
to provide data for reference maps, and the establishment of an institutional structure to
coordinate and manage scientific research as well as socio-economic and physical
development process of Lake Bosumtwi and its immediate environs.
The Ghana Tourist Board, playing a leading role in the conservation of the eco-system, in
conjunction with the Environmental Protection Agency, has placed an embargo on any
mining activity within a thirty kilometre radius of the lake and in March 2000 rejected
proposals of a Canadian mining company to start mining activities in the area. To
complement, the traditional authorities in the area have decided to leave a two-kilometre
radius around the lake as an exclusive tourism zone
32
CHAPTER FOUR
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
4.0 SUMMARY
Faced with the threat of dwindling natural resource base, developing countries are turning
to the development of eco-tourism as a tool to develop their local economies as well as to
protect their reduced natural environment. Hence, it is imperative upon these developing
countries to ascertain the extent to which these niches-eco-tourism- can be exploited
without further destroying the fragile eco-system
To assess the sustainability of these niches, one has to assess the effect of developing
them on the environment, economic and social life of the host communities and the
country as a whole. This was done through a socio-economic survey of households in the
lake area, interview of key opinion leaders and stakeholder institutions and a desk study
of available literature on the environment and emerging issues concerning the lake
After analysis of data collected, it was realised that the sustainability of developing Lake
Bosumtwi into an eco-tourism destination is hinged on active participation of all
stakeholders including host communities and improved social and economic
infrastructure.
4.1 CONCLUSION
What is done to the environment in the lake basin depends in general on the functioning
of the society itself and its perceptions and evaluation of its environment, thus it is only
when host communities realise the benefits of eco-tourism first to themselves, then to the
environment that they willingly participate in the development and sustenance of the site.
33
CHAPTER FIVE
FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
5.1 FINDINGS
This part of the report is concerned with findings and recommendations and conclusion
drawn from the study. The major findings drawn from the study are categorised into
social, economic, environmental and Managerial and are presented below:
5.1.1 Social
I. Quality and standard of living fluctuates with the farming and fishing seasons.
II. The older generation still uphold traditional values, as against the youth who have
bee tremendously affected their culture.
III. The people are becoming unfriendly to tourists as a result of the activities of some
of the earlier tourists.
IV. The area is neglected in the provision of basic facilities in the district
5.1.2 Economic
I. The occupations are seasonal in nature, being farming and fishing.
II. Incomes in the Lake Bosumtwi Basin fluctuates with the seasons
III. All employed people in the area have secondary occupations.
IV. The people are not benefiting directly from the attraction.
5.1.3 Environmental
I. The environmental practices of majority of the people do not enhance the
conservation of the lake.
II. The water level in the lake is receding.
III. Fish stock in the lake is being depleted due to over-fishing
5.1.4 Managerial
I. The people are only being passively involved in the management of the tourist
site.
II. The site is being remotely managed by the Ghana Tourist Board
34
5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
To help rectify the problems that have to be seen to be impediments to the growth of
sustainable eco-tourism, long and short term recommendations were made, which are
outlined below:
5.2.1 Short-term recommendations
I. A secondary/ vocational /technical school should be established in the area to
help dissipate technology and employable skills in the area.
II. Two KVIPs should be built in each community to improve sanitation
III. Potable water should be made available to the people, by the drilling of at least
ten more boreholes.
IV. Tourists to the lake should be provided with information on the lake and the
culture of its people.
5.2.2 Long-term recommendations
I. Promulgation of a bye-law specifying the type and standard of fishing nets to be
used in the lake
II. Improve the surface of the roads connecting the communities of the lake area.
III. Establishment of a local office for the Ghana Tourism Board to serve as
Information Centre.
IV. Protection of some mammal and bird species in the immediate environs of the
lake after some research is carried out to ascertain the status of these animals.
V. Intensify reforestation of the slopes of the crater.
VI. The community should be actively involved in decision making concerning the
lake basin and its development into a Natural and Science Museum and Eco-
Tourism Park
35
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37
APPENDIX 1
NRC - National Redemption Council
BAKD - Bosumtwi-Atwima-Kwanwoma District
CPP - Convention People‟s Party
GTB - Ghana Tourist Board
IUCN - World Conservation Union
KNUST - Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
KVIP - Kumasi Ventilated and Improved Pit
NGO - Non-Governmental Organisation
PAFAM - Pan-African Fair for Arts and Music
PANAFEST - Pan-African Arts Festival
PNDCL - Provisional National Defence Council Law
PP - Progress Party
UN - United Nations
UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme
UNESCO - United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation
USA - United states of America
WTO - World Tourism Organisation
WWF - Worldwide Fund for Nature