National Development

Relevance to National Development

Support Rural Development

Dedeso’s activities will create direct employment opportunities for the community
Expected employment will exceed 1,000 from local production of building materials to the expansion of aquaculture from stump clearance in selected areas
Dedeso supports local healthcare providers to improve healthcare services and infrastructure in the community

Reduce Fatalities

Navigation channel clearance will prevent deaths from collisions with stumps
Collisions with protruding trees have resulted in 500+ preventable deaths over the past 30 years

Enable Efficient Transportation

Dedeso has sonar equipment, bathymetry expertise, and cutting equipment to map and clear navigation channels in Lake Volta
Replacing 400km of North-South road use with lake transport creates savings of $1.5BN over 30 years due to lower transport costs and avoided road maintenance expenditure

Promote Reforestation

Ghana’s forest cover has reduced by 90% since 1900, and deforestation has accelerated in recent years
Timber salvaged from the Volta basin reduces pressure on Ghana’s living forests, facilitating regeneration
Dedeso has partnerships with owners of degraded forests to implement sustainable agroforestry approaches
Charcoal is typically sourced from illegally logged wood. Our charcoal is produced from sawmill waste from trees that died 60 years ago

Facilitate Tourism and Aquaculture

Protruding tree stumps limit the Volta lake’s navigability, restricting the scope of tourism and aquaculture in the area
Stump removal enables the expansion of aquaculture. Dedeso has an agreement in principle with Ghana’s leading fish farm to provide technical support
Dedeso works with key stakeholders to develop and implement a Lake Sustainable Fisheries Strategy