Residents of Loho, a peri-urban community in Ghana’s Nadowli/Kaleo District, are voicing deep frustration over the complete drying up of their vital community dam, leaving them without water for irrigation or livestock.
A recent visit by Yiri News confirmed the dam’s dire state: its bed is parched, offering no relief for farming or animal hydration in this dry season.Loho boasts a significant population of herders raising cattle, sheep, and goats, with the dam long serving as their primary water source.
Community members say heavy rains washed away part of the structure about seven years ago, causing it to lose water rapidly and fail to hold supplies year-round as it once did. “We’ve lost so many animals to theft because they stray far from home searching for water,” one resident told Yiri News. Herders now trek daily to the Wadih Dam in Wa Municipality, some 20 kilometers away, and exposing livestock to risks.
A Fulani headsman, speaking anonymously, described the fallout: “Because we must constantly move our cattle to Wadih, they destroy people’s gardens and tree crops along the way. Green grass is scarce this season, so the animals devour any vegetables they spot. It’s not our intention, but it happens.”
Hopes for relief faded after a contractor arrived post-damage to rehabilitate the dam but left without meaningful progress. A zinc structure—built to store his materials—still stands abandoned at the site, a stark reminder of unfulfilled promises, locals say.
District officials have yet to comment on plans to revive the dam, as residents brace for worsening impacts on livelihoods.
