The Akosombo Dam, also known as the Volta Dam, is a hydroelectric dam on the Volta River in southeastern Ghana in the Akosombo gorge and part of the Volta River Authority.[1] The construction of the dam flooded part of the Volta River Basin and led to the subsequent creation of Lake Volta. Lake Volta is the largest man-made lake in the world by surface area. It covers 8,502 square kilometres (3,283 sq mi), which is 3.6% of Ghana's land area. With a volume of 148 cubic kilometers, Lake Volta is the world's third largest man-made lake by volume; the largest being Lake Kariba which contains 185 cubic kilometers of water.[2]
The primary purpose of the Akosombo Dam was to provide electricity for the aluminium industry.[3] The Akosombo Dam was called "the largest single investment in the economic development plans of Ghana."[4] The dam is significant for providing the majority of both Togo and Benin's electricity, although the construction of the Adjarala Dam (on Togo's Mono River) hopes to reduce these countries' reliance on imported electricity.[5] The dam's original electrical output was 912 megawatts (1,223,000 hp), which was upgraded to 1,020 megawatts (1,370,000 hp) in a retrofit project that was completed in 2006.[6]
The flooding that created the Lake Volta reservoir displaced many people and had a significant impact on the local environment,[7] including seismic activity that led to coastal erosion; a changed hydrology caused microclimatic changes with less rain and higher temperatures. The soil surrounding the lake is less fertile than the soil under it, and heavy agricultural use has required the use of fertilizers, which in turn has led to eutrophication, which caused, among others, the explosive growth of an invasive weed that renders water navigation and transportation difficult, and form a habitat for the vectors of water-borne illnesses such as bilharzia, river blindness and malaria. Resettlement of the displaced inhabitants proved complex and in some cases unsuccessful; traditional farming practices disappeared and poverty increased.
^"Akosombo Dam could serve Ghana for another 50 years if well maintained – Kweku Awotwi - MyJoyOnline.com". www.myjoyonline.com. Retrieved 18 May 2021.
^Fobil 2003
^Zakhary 1997
^Cite error: The named reference GHP was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^Europa Publications (2014). Africa South of the Sahara 2014. Routledge. p. 112. ISBN 9781857436983.
^"Akosombo Hydro Power Plant Retrofit". Volta River Authority. Archived from the original on 8 August 2007. Retrieved 30 July 2007.
The AkosomboDam, also known as the Volta Dam, is a hydroelectric dam on the Volta River in southeastern Ghana in the Akosombo gorge and part of the Volta...
Akosombo is north of the Adomi Bridge at Atimpoku, which is a 3 to 5 minute drive away. The Ghanaian town of Akosombo is the site of the AkosomboDam...
The AkosomboDam Spillage Flood is a riverine flood that occurred in the south-eastern part of Ghana. This is due to a controlled spillage of the Akosombo...
when Ghana's largest dam, the AkosomboDam, was built further downstream on the Volta River. By 1978 planning for the Bui Dam was advanced with support...
the AkosomboDam on the lower Volta River in southern Ghana. It is one of the largest reservoirs in the world. It extends from the AkosomboDam in southeastern...
reservoir in the world based on surface area, is contained behind the AkosomboDam which generates a substantial amount of Ghana's electricity. It is completely...
dam in South Ghana, the AkosomboDam, in the town of Akosombo. Additionally, the district has some very notable tourist sites apart from the Akosombo...
100-kilometre (62 mi) river in Ghana. Prior to the construction of the AkosomboDam in the 1960s, the Afram is a principal tributary of the Volta River and...
Authority (VRA) began releasing water from the Akosombo and Kpong dams as a result of a steady increase in the Akosombo reservoir's water level and inflow pattern...
Kessem Dam Koka Tekezé Dam Tendaho Dam Bongolo Dam Grand Poubara DamAkosomboDam - Lake Volta Barekese Dam Bosumtwi Dam Bui Dam Kpong Dam Mampong Dam Owabi...
hydroelectric plant at Kpong, about 40 kilometers downstream from Akosombo. A third dam at Bui on the Black Volta River had been studied, and was completed...
suspension bridge. It provides the main road passage, just south of the AkosomboDam, between the Eastern Region and the Volta Region of Ghana. It was opened...
agricultural and hydroelectric dams along rivers that isolate populations, such as the AkosomboDam in Ghana. The Diama Dam has permanently isolated the...
producers. The AkosomboDam, built on the Volta River in 1965, along with the Bui Dam, the Kpong Dam and several other hydroelectric dams, provide hydropower...
Fancy prints with 100% cotton. It is located on the grounds next to the AkosomboDam in the Eastern Region. It has weaving, spinning and finishing facilities...
The Akosombo Port is a port on Lake Volta. It is located near the AkosomboDam at Akosombo. Boankra Inland Port Takoradi Harbour Tema Harbour Yaw Addae-Affoakwa...
River Project: the construction of a hydroelectric power plant, the AkosomboDam on the Volta River in eastern Ghana. The Volta River Project was the...
Volta River has changed significantly since 1964. Construction of the dam at Akosombo, about 80 kilometres (50 mi) upstream from the coast, created the vast...
initially reluctant United States government to back the building of the AkosomboDam. Later, as his relationship with Nkrumah deteriorated, Gbedemah was demoted...
many dams to build up a large volume before operation can begin. For this type of reservoir only a small portion of the water held behind the dam is useful...
capacity, due to a significant drop in water levels at the AkosomboDam (Ghana's main hydro-electric dam). Water levels rose and the power crisis was temporarily...
Konkomba-Nanumba war. In the late 1990s, newly available electricity from the AkosomboDam led to increased local demand for electric and electronic appliance consumption...
company represents Ghana in the West African Power Pool. Akosombo Hydroelectric Project Kpong Dam Takoradi Power Station Navrongo Solar Power Plant Tema...
development. Some major examples include: Kariba Dam, Zimbabwe/Zambia, 1959 Dez Dam, Iran, 1963 AkosomboDam, Ghana, 1966 Salvage of the Abu Simbel temples...
2023 causing the Volta River Authority to spill the dam. Below is a list of floods. 2023 Akosombodam spillage flood 2022 Accra floods 2020 African Sahel...
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