Location & size

Asutifi South District Assembly is one of the newly created administrative districts in the Brong Ahafo Region.  The District was carved from the then Asutifi District in 2012. It lies between latitudes 6°40’ and 7°15’ North and Longitudes 2°15’ and 2°45’ west. In terms of land area, the District covers about 597.2440 sq. kilometers.

The District shares boundaries with Asutifi North District to the north, Ahafo Ano North Municipal to the east, Asunafo Municipal to the west, Atwima Mponua District to the south-east, and Asunafo South District to the south-west. The District has Hwidiem as the capital and it’s about 3.2 kilometers away from the mother District Capital, Kenyasi.

Relief and Drainage

The topography is predominantly undulating with gentle slopes of less than 1 percent inclination. The land generally rises from 30m above sea level to over 61m in the South West, with some high elevations occurring around Sienchiem and Nkrankrom. The drainage pattern formed by the Tano River and its many tributaries can be described as dendritic. The Tano River provides the most reliable source of water for both domestic and agricultural purposes in the lean season for communities located along it in the district. Other river bodies found in the district include River Konkontre, Subin, Goa and Subri.

Ground water potential in the district is highly variable. Much depends on the nature of the underlying rock formations and rainfall. The present combination of the lack of water storage in the wet season, heavy run-offs, high evaporation and low infiltration rates to charge aquifers in some areas contribute to water deficiencies hampering human settlement and increased agricultural production

Climate & vegetation

Climate

The District lies within the wet semi-equatorial zone marked by double rainfall maxima. They are the major season (April to July) and minor season (September to October). The major rainy season is good for crop farming which is the major occupation in the District.

The forest plateau in the District is within an average height of about 700 feet above sea level. The lowest part is about 650 feet above sea level found along the river basins while the highest point is found within the north-east reaching a height of 1,400 feet above sea level.

Vegetation

The district has a vegetation type dominated by semi-deciduous forest. Man’s activities notably farming, lumbering and occasional bush fires have however disturbed this vegetation. This has transformed some areas into a deprived wood savanna. Such transitional zones could be observed around Dadiesoaba and Sienchiem. These developments call for immediate measures to protect this sensitive ecological zone. There are however, large areas of forest reserves in the District which include Asukese Forest Reserve, Bia Tam Forest Reserve and Desiri Forest Reserve.

Geology & soil

Soil

The greatest proportion of the district falls under savanna ochrosol with some lithosols. The land is generally low lying and most of the soils are sandy loam and loamy soils. The soils are fairly rich in nutrients and are suitable for the cultivation of crops such as plantain, cassava, oil palm, maize, and cocoyam as well as vegetables. Some of the vegetables cultivated include cabbage, tomato, garden eggs, okro, pepper, and ginger. There are also clay deposits for bricks and the soil supports the cultivation of transitional and forest crops like cocoa and timber.

Geology and Minerals

The district is endowed with Birimian rock which has gold deposits. This has attracted a lot of small scale miners, given rise to both legal as well as illegal ‘galamsey’ mining activities in the district. The mineral deposits can mainly be found in areas around communities such as Hwidiem, Woromumuso, Nkaseim and Acherensua among others. There is also the presence of some major mining companies in the district. For instance Newmont Ghana Gold Limited has applied to undertake prospecting in areas such as Nkaseim and Acherensua. The Birimian rocks also have a high potential for Manganese and Bauxite which yet to be tapped.