Physical And Natural Environment
Location and size of the District

The Birim South District is one of the newly created Administrative Districts in the eastern region of Ghana Carved out of the former Birim South District now Birim Central Municipal as part of the government’s decentralization programme. Akim Swedru is the District capital. The District covers an estimated land area of 299.50sqkm. The District shares boundaries with Birim Central in the North-east, Assin North (West) and Asikuma Odoben-Brakwa and Agona to the South.

Topography

The natural features of land in the District are generally undulating and hilly. The District is endowed with streams and rivers serving as source of water for most deprived communities. The streams and rivers could also serve as opportunities for small scale irrigation farming.

Climate

The District falls within the wet semi-equatorial climatic zone which experiences substantial amount of precipitation/rainfall. This season with rainfall between 150cm and 200cm reaching its maximum during the two peak periods of May-June and September-October. This promotes serious farming activities within these two periods i.e. May-June and September-October.

Relative humidity of about 56% (dry season) and 70% of (raining season) between 25.2°C and 27.5°C create a relatively good atmosphere for socio-economic activities like trade and farming in dry season and rainy season respectively. The undulating nature of the topography occasionally results to flooding in some communities during the peak period of the rainy season.

Vegetation

The vegetation is mainly characterized by tall trees with evergreen undergrowth endowed with economic trees. The District falls within the semi-deciduous rainforest region leading to high degree of rainfall for crop cultivation and human use.

Human activities such as poor farming practices, lumbering (especially chain saw and firewood operations), mining, construction works have had negative impact on the vegetation over the years resulting in scattered parcels of secondary forest.