A Comparative Study of Rainfall Pattern in the Tarkwa Mining District of Ghana

Tarkwa is in the Western Region of Ghana where mining, especially of gold and manganese, has been going on for many years. The area is associated with heavy rains, but for the past few years it has been observed that the rainfall pattern has changed. It is generally conceived by many inhabitants of the area that it is caused by the adverse effect of intense surface mining activities. This research investigates the correlation between increasing surface mining activity and reduction in the amount of rainfall. The effect of surface mining on rainfall has been studied by comparing the rainfall pattern of the Tarkwa area with that of Benso area which is also in the Western Region, but is without any large scale surface mining activities. Benso is used as base line since it is within the same vegetation and climatic zone and experiences similar agricultural practices. This study indicates that there is some relationship between the decline in the amount of rainfall and intensity of surface mining in the Tarkwa area. Ghana Mining Journal Vol. 9 2007: pp. 33-3