An Assessment of Environmental and Economic Effects of Tourism in Communities Around Wli Waterfalls and Lake Bosomtwi in Ghana

ABSTRACT

The study sought to assess the effects of tourism on the environment and economic

activities in the communities around Lake Bosomtwi and Wli Waterfalls. Methodology

used included analysis of water samples from the Lake and Waterfall. Satellite images

covering the period between 1990 and 2010 of land use around the Lake Bosomtwi and

Wli Waterfalls were also analyzed to see if tourism is affecting vegetative cover around

the Lake Bosomtwi and Wli Waterfalls. In addition, a social survey and detailed

observation of anthropogenic activities were also made to determine the perceived effects

of tourism on environment and economic activities. Also, the relationship between

environmental effects on socio–economic activities was investigated. Finally, the level of

participation of residents in the management of the tourism resources in their community

was assessed. Values recorded for physical parameters in the Wli Waterfalls were below

the acceptable limits for WHO standards for drinking water. The values ranged between

23.6oC to 27.9oC (mean= 25.8oC), 6.1-8.7 (mean= 7.5), 2.217μS/cm to 101.117μS/cm

(mean= 43.217μS/cm), 5.2NTU to 39.2 NTU (mean= 14.9 NTU) 8.6mg/L to 32.6mg/L

(mean= 15.9mg/L) for temperature, pH, conductivity, turbidity and TDS respectively.

With the exception of conductivity (1038 μS/cm to 1381 μS/cm; mean= 1263 μS/cm) and

pH (7.4 to 9.6; mean= 8.98), which were above the acceptable limits of WHO standards

for drinking water, the rest of physical parameters recorded in the Lake Bosomtwi were

also below the acceptable limits of WHO standards for drinking water. Coliforms

contents of both water bodies; 505cfc/100mL to 2208cfc/100mL (mean=1078cfc/100mL)

and 584cfc/100mL to 2603cfc/100mL (mean= 1248cfc/100mL) for Wli Waterfalls and

Lake Bosomtwi respectively were far above the acceptable limits for WHO standards for

drinking water. Values recorded for peak periods (festive occasions when influx of

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tourists was high) were slightly higher than values recorded for the lean periods (non

festive occasions when influx of tourists was very low). The differences were however

not significant. While vegetation cover around Wli Waterfalls experienced a diversity of

changes that of Lake Bosomtwi was a continuous decline. Grassland coverage and built

up/bare areas on the other hand increased throughout the study period for the two study

areas. While the improvement in the vegetation cover could partly be attributed to

tourism development at Wli Waterfalls, the decline at Lake Bosomtwi could however not

be attributed to tourism development alone. Anthropogenic activities such as farming and

expansion in settlements could also be responsible. Social survey and observations made

indicates that the residents in communities around Wli Waterfalls do perceive tourism

development to be having more positive effects than negative ones on their

environmental and economic activities. Residents from communities around Lake

Bosomtwi on the other hand perceive tourism development to be having more negative

effects than positive ones on their environment. They also believed that economic

benefits from tourism development are very minimal. The varied perceptions from the

residents in two study areas may be due to the fact that tourism development at the Wli

Waterfalls is still at the euphoria stage of Doxey‟s Irridex Model while that of Lake

Bosomtwi is at the apathy stage. Responds from residents indicates that residents do not

play any meaningful role in the management of tourism resource in their communities

and that at best they are at the manipulation level on the ladder of citizen participation.

Despite the concerns raised by residents, especially those from Bosomtwi, on the

perceived negative effects of tourism on their environment and economic activities,

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majority of them (especially the youth) still wants the development of tourism to go on in

their communities.