Trip to Krokobite (Bojo)

Background to the study

Sand mining is a type of open-cast mining that provides material for the construction sector and
essential in every developing nation including Ghana. The construction sector in Ghana relies
heavily on large quantities of coastal sand and pebbles which are employed everyday in the
nations infrastructural development such as building of houses, bridges and roads. It is amazing
to note that there is no substitute for it. However, the process of sand mining has accelerated
coastal environmental degradation to an alarming rate in many areas including Krokrobite (Bojo
beach).
Accra being the nations capital, increasing urbanization, coupled with rapid population growth
and alarming rate of urban drift by the youth in pursuit of education and jobs has created an acute
demand for housing and consequently substantial quantity of sand. Enormous quantity of sand is
mined everyday for these construction works.
There exist policies and guidelines to ensure that mining and quarrying activities reclaim the land
after exploitation. The Government of Ghana, through the Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) is making all efforts to implement these policies and guidelines but sand winners in the Ga
District go on with the wanton destruction of farmlands, forests, habitat, etc. and succeed in
getting away with it.
Our trip to Bojo beach in Kokrobite which happens to be a beach resort was one that was
interesting. On our arrival one Mr Owusu Akyaw who happens to be the boss on duty briefed us
on the limitations of their tourist and other beach users in the resort. According to him the sand
and pebble winning in Kokrobite has been a problem for many years in the community and the

youth feel its their livelihood. Mr Owusu Akyaw said the terrazzo chipping mining is more of a
problem to us than the sand mining. All that we have been able to do is to stop them from our
immediate frontage. He also stated that the fishermen fight this kind of activity as well since it
creates potholes which serve as death traps to them while fishing. Mr. Owusu also explained how
their current summer huts have been their third shift away from the sea into the land. This could
be as a result of soil erosion caused by the sand and pebble winning. His other major concern of
which he wishes NADMO will take a critical look at has to do with the estuary. He added that
the estuary gets silted and this prevents the Densu River from flowing into the sea, making the
communities around, including the resort, flooded. Because of superstitious belief of the youth
and chiefs, we find it difficult dredging the estuary frequently. We will be grateful if NADMO
can help with the occasional dredging to reduce the occurrence of flooding bewailed Mr.
Owusu. The NADMO team suggested an alternative livelihood so that the youth could desist
from the pebble and sand winning. Mr. Owusu then proposed a focus group discussion between
NADMO and the opinion leaders in order to address the issue. Following this proposition,
NADMO conducted a focus group which addressed series of issues of interest.
NADMO has always believed in prevention hence the best medium to achieve it. The trip was
embarked to assist the organisation in its research, training and capacity building as well as
sensitization and empowerment to the people in the community. The organization, through this
assignment, wants to find out how best it could assist the rural communities in the Ga District to
advocate to forestall the wanton destruction of farmlands and fishing through sand and pebble
winning activities.
The major objective of this assignment is the conservation of the remaining farmlands, the coast
and the reclamation of that which is destroyed through sand and pebble winning activities. This

will enable residents, who are mostly farmers and fishermen, but who are presently idle as the
result of depletion of their farmlands and fear of their boats capsizing when fishing, to go back to
their farming and fishing activities and improve upon their livelihood.
NADMO intends to look at the impact of sand and pebble winning activities in the following
areas:

On livelihood and health of the people in the affected communities

The effects on Agriculture and food security both in the short and long term basis

The significant benefits accrued to affected communities if any

How the land is leased and the cost per acre to the sand winning contractors

Measures in place to reclaim the land and how far it has been done

Whether or not such measures are being followed

A detailed introduction to the policies and guidelines relating to coastal management and
environmental degradation prevention to inform the communities

How sand winning can be made attractive and beneficial to the people involved if it
should be continued in moderation and whether it should be encouraged at all

To suggest other ways to encourage community support for coastal management

initiatives by finding out alternative livelihood systems that would motivate them better
than sand winning.

Conclusion
Degraded stream habitats have resulted in lost of fisheries productivity, biodiversity and
recreational potential. Severely degraded channels have lowered land as well as aesthetic values.

Erosion of channel bed and banks, increase in channel slope, and change in channel morphology
could be other forms of negative effects. This activity also causes reduced water quality and
poses threats to aquatic life. Mining of sand and pebbles can lead to the removal of channel
substrate, re-suspension of streambed sediment, clearance of vegetation, and stockpiling on the
streambed, which have ecological impacts. These impacts may have an effect on the direct loss
of stream reserve habitat, disturbances of species attached to streambed deposits, reduced light
penetration, reduced primary production, and reduced feeding opportunities. Based on the above
mentioned issues, in addition to those of the Bojo residents affected by sand and pebble winning,
we entreat that the situation will be treated the needed urgency.
By Bertha Ashitey
NADMO