Articles | Volume 27, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2001-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-2001-2023
© Author(s) 2023. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
26 May 2023
Research article |
| 26 May 2023
| 26 May 2023
Quantifying the trade-offs in re-operating dams for the environment in the Lower Volta River
Land and Water Management Department, IHE Delft Institute for Water
Education, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, the Netherlands
Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, TU Delft, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, the Netherlands
Jazmin Zatarain Salazar
Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, TU Delft, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, the Netherlands
Marloes Mul
Land and Water Management Department, IHE Delft Institute for Water
Education, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, the Netherlands
Pieter van der Zaag
Land and Water Management Department, IHE Delft Institute for Water
Education, Westvest 7, 2611 AX Delft, the Netherlands
Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, TU Delft, Stevinweg 1, 2628 CN Delft, the Netherlands
Jill Slinger
Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, TU Delft, Jaffalaan 5, 2628 BX Delft, the Netherlands
Institute of Water Research, Rhodes University, Drosty Rd,
Grahamstown, 6139, South Africa
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Short summary
The construction of two dams in the Lower Volta River, Ghana, adversely affected downstream riverine ecosystems and communities. In contrast, Ghana has enjoyed vast economic benefits from the dams. Herein lies the challenge; there exists a trade-off between water for river ecosystems and water for anthropogenic water demands such hydropower. In this study, we quantify these trade-offs and show that there is room for providing environmental flows under current and future climatic conditions.
The construction of two dams in the Lower Volta River, Ghana, adversely affected downstream...
