Bui Dam Wouldn't Destroy Bui Park

Space FM, Bui - The Manager of the Bui National Park, Mr Christian Atsu Fumey- Nassah, has said that the construction of the Bui Dam would affect only a small portion of the park, allaying fears of the public that a chunck of the park would be destroyed. He explained that only 440 sqare kilometers of the park's total area of 1,821 sqare kilometers would be affected during the construction of the Dam.

"Only a quarter of the total area of the Bui National Park along the Black Volta, would be destroyed to make way for the Bui Dam and we feel that would not pose much problems", he told Space FM shortly before the sod cutting ceremony by President Kufour to commence work on the Dam at Bui in the Tain District of the Brong-Ahafo Region.

Mr Fumey-Nassah said adequate measures have been put in place for animals, especially the hipopotamuses, whose habitats would be affected.

"We have adequate measures for hipo habitats which would be flooded, but would in the long run be moved upstream", he said adding that "the issue of translocating the hipos, which wouldn't pose much problems, would be addressed later". The Park Manager pointed out that the vegetation along the river would change as a result of the Dam but that would not bring any serious problems.

The change in species diversity would force animals which depend on riperian vegetation to relocate and allow those which survive on lacostrean vegetation to settle in.