Challenges associated with ground water resources development in northern Ghana

It is estimated that groundwater contributes about 62 percent of the total water requirement of Ghana. It contributes an average of 67 percent to Northern Ghana’s domestic water needs. The groundwater resources of Northern Ghana are obtained from a variety of hard rock units, comprising basement complex (crystalline) systems and varying Neoproterozoic sedimentary rock types and, therefore, have varying hydrogeological characteristics. Some of the hard crystalline and Neoproterozoic rocks are overlain by a thick argillaceous overburden of high porosity and low permeability characteristics. Groundwater development in these hard rocks is structurally-controlled and successful boreholes are characterised by variable yields, which range from less than 0.2 m3 h-1 to 500 m3 h-1 at depths ranging from 40 - 160 m. The hard rock aquifers of Northern Ghana are generally discrete, giving rise to localised flows, thus, making regional aquifer evaluations rather challenging. Even though groundwater constitutes the main water supply sources, its development is fraught with challenges that range from exploration through drilling to water quality issues. These challenges have been noted to be highly related to the nature and characteristics of the underlying geological formations. This paper discusses some of the challenges that have been experienced during the long period of hydrogeological field practices in the northern part of the country

An Assessment of the Potential for Mapping Fishing Zones off the Coast of Ghana using Ocean Forecast Data and Vessel Movement

This research assessed the feasibility of mapping potential fishing grounds off the coast of Ghana using vessel trajectories and speeds as proxies for identifying migration patterns and fishing behaviour of inshore trawling vessels. The methods involved the extraction of data from Satellite Automatic Identification System comprising position and speed of the vessel from exactEarth Shipview. Daily oceanographic parameters i.e. sea surface temperature, sea surface height, sea surface salinity, and the current velocity between August 2015- January2016 were obtained from Copernicus (www.marine.copernius.eu). Speed ranges and trajectories indicate that, the vessels steamed between 6.9 to 7.5 knots and fish aggregation mostly occurred closer to the shore predicated on favourable environmental ocean conditions. It was observed that the vessel depicted steaming behaviour in this study, characteristic of a recreational vessel with high speed, moving in straight paths rather than a trawling vessel whose movement occurs in slower and erratic trajectory patterns. The findings strongly suggest that the fishermen operating this trawl vessel have good knowledge of productive fishing grounds. The months with highest probability of catch aggregation were from October 2015 to December 2015, within the geographical locations oflongitude -4o 2 ʹ E and latitude 3.5o 6 ʹ N. The highest probability of catch aggregation was observed in October 2015, probably due to upwelling that occurred during that month. It is concluded that, fishing efficiency of inshore trawling vessels in Ghana could be enhanced with maps indicative of probability of fish aggregation in the ocean

Safeguarding public health concerns, livelihoods and productivity in wastewater irrigated urban and periurban vegetable farming

The goal of the project was to develop integrated and user-oriented strategies to safeguard public health concerns without compromising livelihoods and land and water productivity in wastewater irrigated urban and peri-urban vegetable farming. In this project, assessment of land and water productivity in wastewater irrigated farming was done, levels of contamination on irrigation water and vegetables quantified at different levels along the food chain (farms, markets and consumer level) and appropriate lowcost risk reduction strategies identified and participatory testing done with stakeholders at farm and consumer levels. A large number of students were involved in the project, significantly building human capacit

Receptor-mediated delivery of engineered nucleases for genome modification

Engineered nucleases, which incise the genome at predetermined sites, have a number of laboratory and clinical applications. There is, however, a need for better methods for controlled intracellular delivery of nucleases. Here, we demonstrate a method for ligand-mediated delivery of zinc finger nucleases (ZFN) proteins using transferrin receptor-mediated endocytosis. Uptake is rapid and efficient in established mammalian cell lines and in primary cells, including mouse and human hematopoietic stem-progenitor cell populations. In contrast to cDNA expression, ZFN protein levels decline rapidly following internalization, affording better temporal control of nuclease activity. We show that transferrin-mediated ZFN uptake leads to site-specific in situ cleavage of the target locus. Additionally, despite the much shorter duration of ZFN activity, the efficiency of gene correction approaches that seen with cDNA-mediated expression. The approach is flexible and general, with the potential for extension to other targeting ligands and nuclease architectures

Observed controls on resilience of groundwater to climate variability in sub-Saharan Africa

Groundwater in sub-Saharan Africa supports livelihoods and poverty alleviation, maintains vital ecosystems, and strongly influences terrestrial water and energy budgets. Yet the hydrological processes that govern groundwater recharge and sustainability—and their sensitivity to climatic variability—are poorly constrained. Given the absence of firm observational constraints, it remains to be seen whether model-based projections of decreased water resources in dry parts of the region are justified. Here we show, through analysis of multidecadal groundwater hydrographs across sub-Saharan Africa, that levels of aridity dictate the predominant recharge processes, whereas local hydrogeology influences the type and sensitivity of precipitation–recharge relationships. Recharge in some humid locations varies by as little as five per cent (by coefficient of variation) across a wide range of annual precipitation values. Other regions, by contrast, show roughly linear precipitation–recharge relationships, with precipitation thresholds (of roughly ten millimetres or less per day) governing the initiation of recharge. These thresholds tend to rise as aridity increases, and recharge in drylands is more episodic and increasingly dominated by focused recharge through losses from ephemeral overland flows. Extreme annual recharge is commonly associated with intense rainfall and flooding events, themselves often driven by large-scale climate controls. Intense precipitation, even during years of lower overall precipitation, produces some of the largest years of recharge in some dry subtropical locations. Our results therefore challenge the ‘high certainty’ consensus regarding decreasing water resources in such regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The potential resilience of groundwater to climate variability in many areas that is revealed by these precipitation–recharge relationships is essential for informing reliable predictions of climate-change impacts and adaptation strategies

Observed controls on resilience of groundwater to climate variability in sub-Saharan Africa

Groundwater in sub-Saharan Africa supports livelihoods and poverty alleviation1,2, maintains vital ecosystems, and strongly influences terrestrial water and energy budgets. Yet the hydrological processes that govern groundwater recharge and sustainability—and their sensitivity to climatic variability—are poorly constrained4. Given the absence of firm observational constraints, it remains to be seen whether model-based projections of decreased water resources in dry parts of the region4 are justified. Here we show, through analysis of multidecadal groundwater hydrographs across sub-Saharan Africa, that levels of aridity dictate the predominant recharge processes, whereas local hydrogeology influences the type and sensitivity of precipitation–recharge relationships. Recharge in some humid locations varies by as little as five per cent (by coefficient of variation) across a wide range of annual precipitation values. Other regions, by contrast, show roughly linear precipitation–recharge relationships, with precipitation thresholds (of roughly ten millimetres or less per day) governing the initiation of recharge. These thresholds tend to rise as aridity increases, and recharge in drylands is more episodic and increasingly dominated by focused recharge through losses from ephemeral overland flows. Extreme annual recharge is commonly associated with intense rainfall and flooding events, themselves often driven by large-scale climate controls. Intense precipitation, even during years of lower overall precipitation, produces some of the largest years of recharge in some dry subtropical locations. Our results therefore challenge the ‘high certainty’ consensus regarding decreasing water resources in such regions of sub-Saharan Africa. The potential resilience of groundwater to climate variability in many areas that is revealed by these precipitation–recharge relationships is essential for informing reliable predictions of climate-change impacts and adaptation strategies

Consumption patterns and usage of selected underutilized legumes in a Ghanaian community

Abstract Underutilized legumes are a good source of plant proteins, but they exhibit a hard‐to‐cook nature and poor digestibility due to the presence of anti‐nutritional factors. This study focused on the factors that drive the utilization of selected underutilized legumes in the Techiman municipality of Ghana. The legumes studied were Vigna subterrenea (Bambara groundnut), Cajanus cajan (Pigeon pea), Phaseolus lunatus (Lima bean), Parkia biglobosa (African Locust bean), and Canavalia gladiata (Sword bean). The survey provided insight into the familiarity, uses, preparation methods, and the extent of knowledge of their nutritional benefits. The demographics of the participants studied were also described, and statistical analysis was done using descriptive statistics. The results showed that the legumes were well recognized despite their underutilized status and they find use primarily in domestic savory food preparation. Consumption was mostly occasional despite the knowledge of its nutritional benefits. Processing mainly referred to boiling with prior removal of foreign materials and soaking in water. Nutrition stood out as the most desired property. Strategies aiming at maximizing the use of these legumes must be considered and developed since these legumes appear to be a formidable resource for combating the prevalent food insecurity in Africa