Basic 8 · Social Studies · Water Pollution
Water Pollution as an Environmental Challenge
In this topic you will examine water pollution as an environmental challenge in Ghana, including its causes, its effects on people and nature and the steps needed to reduce it.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Explain what water pollution is
- State the causes of water pollution in Ghana
- Explain the effects of water pollution and how to reduce it
What you already know
- Environmental pollution (Basic 7)
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
Lesson 1
- Strand
- Environment
- Sub-strand
- Water Pollution
- Indicator
- B8.1.1.1.1 – Examine water pollution as an environmental challenge
Introduction
Water gives life, but many of Ghana's rivers now run brown. Understanding why is the first step in protecting them.
1. What Is Water Pollution?
Water pollution: The contamination of water by substances that make it harmful to people, animals or plants.
Water pollution affects rivers, lakes, lagoons, the sea and even underground water. Polluted water may look dirty, or it may look clean yet contain chemicals or germs. Ghana's main rivers include the Volta, Pra, Ankobra, Tano, Densu and Birim. Millions of Ghanaians rely on them for drinking, farming and fishing, so anything that harms these rivers affects the whole of society.
2. Main Causes
| Cause | How it pollutes | Where it is common |
|---|---|---|
| illegal mining (galamsey) | releases mud, mercury and cyanide | Pra, Ankobra, Birim, Offin |
| household waste | rubbish enters drains and streams | towns and cities |
| open defecation | germs enter water | communities without toilets |
| farm chemicals | fertilisers and pesticides wash into rivers | farming areas |
| industrial waste | factories release chemicals | Tema, Accra |
| oil spills | oil spreads on the sea | ports and offshore |
3. Galamsey
Galamsey is a word for small-scale illegal mining. Miners dig up river banks and wash gold ore in rivers, turning the water brown. Many use mercury to separate gold, and mercury is a poison that can damage the brain and kidneys. The Minerals and Mining Act, 2006 (Act 703) regulates mining, but enforcement has been difficult. Poverty and unemployment push many young people into galamsey, and some powerful people are also said to benefit from it. In recent years, citizens, chiefs and religious leaders have protested and called for stronger action.
4. Waste and Urban Drains
In cities like Accra and Kumasi, many people dump rubbish into gutters. Rain washes it into the Korle Lagoon and the Odaw River, which have become heavily polluted. Plastic waste is a particular problem, since it does not rot. It blocks drains and contributes to flooding, and then ends up in the sea, where it harms fish and turtles. Sachet water bags are among the most common kinds of litter in Ghana. This shows how everyday habits add up to a big environmental problem.
New words
- pollution
- Harmful substances in the environment.
- galamsey
- Illegal small-scale mining.
- mercury
- A poisonous metal used in gold mining.
- contamination
- Making something impure.
Summary
- Water pollution makes water harmful to life.
- Galamsey, waste, farm chemicals and industry are major causes.
- Everyday habits add to the problem of pollution.
Class activity: Pollution Map
- Draw a map of Ghana's main rivers.
- Mark the sources of pollution.
- Discuss which is the most serious.
You need: Bottles of clean, Muddy water, Used sachet-water bag, Printed photograph of a polluted local stream
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Galamsey is…
- A. illegal small-scale mining
- B. a festival
- C. a dance
- D. a type of fish
Show answer
Answer: illegal small-scale miningMining.2. Which poison is used in galamsey?
- A. mercury
- B. salt
- C. sugar
- D. chlorine
Show answer
Answer: mercuryGold.3. Clean-looking water may still be polluted.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueInvisible germs.4. Illegal mining has polluted the River ______.
Show answer
Answer: PraExample.5. State three causes of water pollution.
Show answer
Answer: Galamsey, household waste and farm chemicals.Any three.6. Why do many people engage in galamsey despite the harm?
Show answer
Answer: Poverty and lack of jobs make it attractive, and enforcement is weak.Causes.
Lesson 2
- Strand
- Environment
- Sub-strand
- Water Pollution
- Indicator
- B8.1.1.1.1 – Examine water pollution as an environmental challenge
Introduction
When a river is polluted, the damage spreads to health, farming, fishing and the cost of living.
1. Effects on People
| Area | Effect |
|---|---|
| health | cholera, typhoid, diarrhoea and mercury poisoning |
| water supply | higher treatment costs and water shortages |
| fishing | fish die or move, and fishers lose income |
| farming | polluted irrigation water and damaged land |
| tourism | dirty beaches and lakes attract fewer visitors |
| society | conflict over water, and migration |
Pollution makes water more expensive. Ghana Water Limited, which supplies treated water, has had to reduce production at times, as rivers have become too muddy to treat economically. Poor communities that drink directly from rivers suffer most. Pregnant women and children are especially vulnerable to mercury.
2. Effects on the Environment
Polluted water kills fish, insects and water plants, which harms entire food chains. Dirt blocks sunlight, and this stops water plants from making food. Fertiliser in water may cause algae to grow fast, and when they die and rot, they use up the oxygen in the water. This is called eutrophication. Lost wildlife may never return. Damage done in months can take many years to repair.
3. Who Is Responsible?
| Institution | Role |
|---|---|
| Water Resources Commission | manages water resources |
| Environmental Protection Agency | regulates pollution |
| Minerals Commission | regulates mining |
| Assemblies | manage waste and enforce bye-laws |
| traditional authorities | protect sacred rivers and land |
| citizens | keep water clean and report offenders |
4. Solutions
- Enforce mining and environmental laws fairly.
- Create decent jobs for young people, especially in mining communities.
- Build toilets and proper waste systems.
- Use farm chemicals carefully, and plant trees along river banks.
- Reduce plastic use and recycle.
- Educate communities about water protection.
- Report polluters to the authorities.
Traditional beliefs also helped to protect water. Some rivers were considered sacred, and fishing or farming along them was limited on certain days. Restoring such respect, alongside modern law, may help. In the end, every person has a part to play in protecting water for the future.
New words
- cholera
- A serious disease spread by dirty water.
- algae
- Simple plants that grow in water.
- eutrophication
- Water losing oxygen from excess nutrients.
- bye-law
- A rule made by a local assembly.
Summary
- Water pollution harms health, livelihoods and wildlife.
- Institutions and citizens share the task of protecting water.
- Solutions include law, jobs, sanitation, education and tree planting.
Class activity: Letter to the Assembly
- Write a letter on a water problem in your area.
- Give evidence and suggest solutions.
- Read it to the class.
You need: Bottles of clean, Muddy water, Used sachet-water bag, Printed photograph of a polluted local stream
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Which disease spreads through dirty water?
- A. cholera
- B. malaria
- C. measles
- D. asthma
Show answer
Answer: choleraWater-borne.2. Which institution regulates pollution?
- A. Environmental Protection Agency
- B. Ghana Education Service
- C. Ghana Police
- D. Bank of Ghana
Show answer
Answer: Environmental Protection AgencyEPA.3. Pollution raises the cost of treating water.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueCosts.4. A rule made by a local assembly is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: bye-lawLocal law.5. State three effects of water pollution.
Show answer
Answer: Disease, loss of fish and higher water costs.Any three.6. Suggest two ways of reducing galamsey that deal with its causes.
Show answer
Answer: Create alternative jobs and enforce the law fairly.Solutions.
Homework
- Write five rules for keeping water clean in your community.