LOCATION AND SIZE
East Mamprusi District is one of the 20 Metropolitan/Municipal/Districts of the Northern Region and has its capital at Gambaga. The district is 1,660 square kilometers which is about 2.2% of the total land area of Northern Region of Ghana.
It is located in the North-Eastern part of the Region. To the North, it shares boundaries with Talensi Nabdam District, Bawku West and Garu-Tempane Districts, all in the Upper East Region and to the East is the Bunkpurugu-Yunyoo District. It is bordered to the West by the West Mamprusi District and the South by Gusheigu District.
The East Mamprusi District has two Town Councils (Gambaga and Nalerigu), and three Area Councils (Langbensi, Sakogu and Gbintiri). There are thirty-four unit committees.
TOPOGRAPHY AND DRAINAGE
The District is characterized by a gently rolling topography with the Gambaga escarpment, which marks the northern limits of the Voltaian sandstone basin. The scarp stretches from East-West and peak at Nakpanduri, with waterfalls presenting nature its most beauty.
Important drainage features in the district include the White Volta, which enters the district in the northeast and is joined by the Red Volta near Gambaga escarpment with the Nawonga and Moba rivers also draining the South-Western par
GEOLOGY AND SOIL
Two main types of soils are found in the district. These are the savanna ochrosols and the ground water laterite.
The savanna ochrosols which cover almost the whole entire district is moderately well drained upland soils developed mainly on Voltain sandstone. The texture of the surface soil is loamy sand to sand with good water retention.
The ground water laterites cover a smaller portion of the district and found mainly in the Southern part. These are concretionary soils developed mainly in Voltain shales, mudstone and argillaceous sandstone materials.
FARMING SYSTEM:
Mixed farming is the main farming system practiced in the district. Almost every farm family or household keeps a number of rural poultry and few livestock in addition to crop farming. With regards to crop production, semi permanent to shifting cultivation is practiced in areas where land availability is not a constraint. Mixed cropping or intercropping is the dominant cropping pattern. Sole cropping as most often practiced in rice farming and in some few cases in maize and soybean farms.
Farmers depend on chemical fertilizers for replenishing of their farm land. The how and cutlass are still the dominant farm tools used for land preparations. In some cases, tractor and traction animals are used and this is by able farmers.
LAND TENURE SYSTEM:
Land ownership is through the family inheritance, thus it is handed over from generation to generation. Acquisition of land for farming by non-family member is subject to respect for traditional and payment of homage to head of family or clan. The tenure system is usually free-hand or hold-in-trust.
CLIMATE
The district lies in the tropical continental belt western margin and experiences a single rainfall regime brought in by the rain bearing tropical marine air mass once in a year. This is from about April to October, after which it comes under the influence of the tropical continental air mass.
The district has a mean rainfall of about 100cm to 115cm and an annual average temperature of 27.4 C. The high temperature is ideal for drying and preservation if cereals and legumes grown in the district.
In years in which the rains are heavy, access to outlying settlements is difficult. The highest peak is the Gambaga scarp which is 136.9m (449 feet) above sea level. Temperatures are generally high throughout the year. Low temperatures however, are experienced between November and February during the Harmattan period.
VEGETATION
The district lies in the western margin of Tropical Continental Belt and is characterized by interior Woodland Savannah belt with some grass vegetation with trees such as Baobab, Acacia and Shea nuts. Grasses grow in tussocks and can reach heights of three meters or more.
ENVIRONMENTAL SITUATION
As one of the fastest growing Districts in the country East Mamprusi is faced with daunting challenges in the management of both solid and liquid wastes. In solid waste, there are huge gaps in the amount of refuse that could be collected per day and the refuse generated. This results in rampant littering of streets and drains, posing health and other hazards.
WATER SUPPLY
In the area of water provision, although the District has access to safe drinking water, a good number of the population still obtain water from such unsafe sources as rivers / streams and dugouts. This is particularly pronounced in the rural part of the District. Water quality is particularly very poor during the dry season when natural sources tend to dry up. Women therefore spend huge amount of their labour time during the dry season fetching water. This affects women’s potential access to employment and income – generating opportunities.