THE EFFECT OF ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES ON THE QUALITY OF RIVER FANOMA IN SEFWI AKONTOMBRA IN THE WESTERN REGION OF GHANA

The suitability of the Fanoma River, a source of water used by the Sefwi Akontombra communities in the Western North Region of Ghana for drinking and agriculture, has been a concern since the quality status of the river is perceived as polluted, making it unsuitable for these designated uses. This gives credence to curiosity for research on the quality status of the river. The community’s awareness and understanding of issues related to anthropogenic perturbation and river health could be an important factor influencing the phenomenon. To address these problems, we assessed the physico-chemical, heavy metal, and bacteriological qualities of the river using the APHA protocols and also conducted a questionnaire survey of environmental awareness of the inhabitants, for management consideration. Results showed higher concentrations of phosphate (46.34 mg/L) nitrate (1.08 mg/L) than the WHO Guideline values. This resulted in high levels of BOD (56.17 mg/L) and COD (259.74 mg/L) that strip river water of dissolved oxygen (4.75 mg/L) through microbial degradation. High turbidity (15.78 mg/L), Fe (1.22 mg/L) and Cd (0.01 mg/L) resulted in high electrical conductivity (1608.76 μS/cm) and together with high TSS has imparted intense colour (63.86 mg/L) to the river. These suggest that the river is not suitable for the intended purposes, a situation attributable to a low level of education by the community and a misconception about issues related to river pollution. Collaborative stakeholder action through the design and implementation of education programmes is crucial to averting the phenomenon of pollution and conserving the river.