EnvJustice

Introduction

The Bui hydroelectric dam is located on the borders of the Northern and Brong-Ahafo Region of Ghana. The Bui Dam is a 400 megawatt hydroelectric project under construction at the Bui Gorge at the southern end of Bui National Park in Ghana (Figure 1). Bui National Park, the third largest protected area in Ghana, measures 1820 km2 and straddles the Black Volta River. The Bui National Park was established in 1971 and   hosts the largest protected population of hippos in Ghana (approximately 305 hippos) and is one of eight hippo populations in all of West Africa. The endangered black and white colobus monkey and a variety of antelopes and birds are also present.

In 2007, as Ghanaians were suffering another electricity crisis with frequent power outages, the then president of Ghana cut the sod for the country’s third large hydro-electric dam at Bui across the Black Volta. The main construction work started in 2009 (Figure 2). The project promised to guarantee Ghana’s electricity supply and to develop neglected parts of the northern region. The project is would be collaboration between the government of Ghana and Sino Hydro, a Chinese construction company. The dam project would inundate 21% of the Bui National park and require the forced relocation of 1,216 people.

Click here for the factsheet (4 pages):FS_025_Bui dam project