Physical Features

Topography and Drainage

The land of the district is generally low lying but gently undulating at altitudes ranging between 150m-300m above sea level though some parts average 600m. There is one major stream, the Bakpong and several ephemeral streams, which flow into the Black Volta.

Geology and Soil

Three main types of rocks underlie the district; these are Birimian and Granite to the west and some parts of the east and basement complex to the east. The Birimian rock formation is known to have traces of gold, which needs further investigation to establish its feasibility for exploration.

These rocks also hold a considerable quantity of water, which can readily be developed for use by drilling of boreholes and sinking of wells. The soil types are laterite, sandy and sandy loam (savanna ochrosols). They are generally poor in organic matter and nutrients as a result of the absence of a dense vegetative cover a situation largely caused by bush burning, overgrazing, protracted erosion and poor farming practices.

Climate and Vegetation

The district has a mean annual temperature of 32°C and a mean monthly temperature ranging between 36°C in March to 27°C in August. Mean annual rainfall is about 1100mm with its peak in August. Between October and March there is virtually no rain and this long dry season becomes harsh by the dry north-eastern harmattan winds.

Relative humidity is between 70 and 90 percent during the rainy season but is as low as 20 percent during the long dry season. Nadowli-Kaleo District lies within the tropical continental or guinea savannah woodland characterized by shrubs and grassland with scattered medium sized trees. Some economic trees found in the district are kapok, shea, baobab, mango and dawadawa and these are resistant to both fire and drought.