UNDERWATER LOGGING: THE CASE OF GHANA’S VOLTA LAKE

Underwater log harvesting in the Volta Lake of Ghana

In times when the timber industry is plagued with unsteady prices and the challenges of dwindling forest resources is exacerbated by the woes of climate change, the value of a suitable alternative has come to light: logs inundated through reservoirs creation for decades and long presumed to have been lost.

Underwater logging is the process of harvesting tree crop submerged due to activities such as artificial impoundment of water. When artificial reservoirs and dams are built, large forests are often inundated. Although the trees die the wood is often preserved. The trees can then be felled using special underwater machinery and floated up to the surface. This activity can be quite profitable, since the prime "targets" are decades-old trees of a size and species difficult or impossible to find in their natural habitat. Underwater logging has been introduced in selected locations around the world, including Ghana’s Volta Lake, the largest reservoir by surface area in the world.

While no exact count of these resources seems to exists globally, one estimate puts it at about 200 million trees, a global supply worth about $40 billion. According to a 2004 figures, some 35,000 square kilometers (13,500 square miles) of forest worldwide have already been submerged by dams. These inundated resources have been preserved by water and protected from rot and insect infestation. The resulting high-quality timber is highly sought after the world over. It is estimated that timber resources worth 2.8 billion dollars are locked up under the Volta Lake.

The Volta Basin

 

Canoe transport on the Volta

Since the creation of the Volta Lake in 1964, the 8,515 hectare reservoir has remained a major water transport system. Linking the country’s relatively more developed south to it’s largely subsistence agrarian north. Submerged tree stumps have over the years posed a serious threat to transportation on the lake as several fatal boat disasters have been recorded.

Ghana has lost more than 33.7% of forest cover since 1990 and has a rate of deforestation of 1.68% per annum according to the Forest Resources Assessment conducted by the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations (FAO, 2010). The forestry sector contributes 6% to national GDP, and wood exports are the fourth highest foreign exchange source for the country. The Forestry Commission of Ghana (2010) claims that drivers of deforestation can be mainly attributed to agricultural expansion (which contributes to 50%), harvesting of wood (35%), population and development pressure (10%) and mining (5%).

Illegal lumbering : picture by TBI-Ghana

Falling volumes in timber in Ghana, coupled with rise in illegal lumbering, has compelled the former net timber exporter to import to augment demand of the industry. The tropical forests of Ghana contain a wide range of timber species suitable for the construction industry, decking, flooring, panels and builder's woodwork. The country brings to the market place legal timber species that have such attributes of intriguing grain structures, broad color palette and natural durability fit for all architectural designs.

Inventory conducted using high resolution sonar -- a technology used to locate objects underwater -- has identified some 100 species of trees, including sought-after hardwoods buried in the lake bed. Logging of rot-resistant hardwoods such as Ebony, Odum, Sapele, Mahogany, and Wawa among others will reduce pressure on Ghana’s forest. Deforestation of tropical forests accounts for about 17% of global carbon dioxide emission. A failure to address this source of emission will significantly compromise global efforts to tackle climate change. Ghana’s forests contain 381 million metric tons of carbon in living forest biomass.

This harvesting of submerged timber is the first of its kind in Africa. The venture which is being executed by Vancouver-based experts, Clark Sustainable Resource Developments (CSRD) is expected to help fight global climate change by sparing the living trees that are needed to absorb carbon. In addition to adding to global efforts in mitigation climate change by retaining forest cover that serves as carbon sink, the initiative will enhance river transport; reduce accidents, and frequent loss of life on the lake while creating employment opportunities for the youth. The venture should rake in some 100 million dollars yearly in foreign exchange and create 1,400 new jobs in the country.

ENOCH OFOSU

WATER RESOURCES SPECIALIT

blessedenoch@yahoo.co.uk