Geographical Analysis of Mobile Network Reception Quality -Signal Strength : A Case Study of Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana

Cost of mobile phone communication service in Ghana is seen by many subscribers to be too high when compared to other countries, developed and developing. Despite the cost, mobile usage penetration in Ghana has reached 75%. Perhaps the agonizing part is not how much one pays for the service, rather, the paying for unattained service. In many locations, voice calls are not audible while others fall into dead zones. The argument is that mobile phone service providers need to educate their customers on the signal strength of the subscriber’s location before customers subscribe for the service. This study presents the spatial pattern of mobile network reception quality in the AMA. The objective was to identify gaps in coverage using signal strength of two mobile network providers, MTN and TIGO. The study found that MTN had 184 masts transmitting signals within AMA. However there is a considerable concentration of them within the central AMA, accounting for the strong signal strength in areas around Accra Central, Accra Newtown, Kaneshie, Kotobabi, and Adabraka. Major localities of signal gaps for MTN are found around Little Legon, Burma Camp and Mpoase. MTN has three times more subscribers than TIGO. TIGO had 50 masts which are unevenly distributed and concentrated in areas around Darkuman, Kokompe, and Abeka. Generally, TIGO’s signal showed stronger from field test, but it has fewer subscribers. TIGO has major gaps in areas around Burma Camp, parts of Dansoman, Chorkor, Korle Gonnor, Little Legon, East Legon towards Adjiringanor, Mpoase and Kwame Nkrumah Circle. Keywords: Geographic Information Systems, Signal Strength, Multi-criteria decision making, Accra Metropolitan Area DOI: 10.7176/CER/13-1-05 Publication date: January 31st 202

Measuring Desertification in continuum: Normalized Difference Vegetation Index-based Study in the Upper East Region, Ghana

This paper builds on current research in desertification and approaches design to assist in the accurate measurement of desertification in both spatial (pixel level) and temporal scales taking cue from two earlier studies by Lampray in 1975 and Prince in 1998. These studies vary both in time and space, hinge on different perceptions which directed the methodological approach and conclusions, their points of divergence and convergence have proven to be the strength of many current desertification studies including this one. The focus of this study was to find an indicator-based based approach, i.e. Using Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) which can measure desertification in a continuum over long term. Whereas long–term and continuous analysis is important, this study finds that spatial pattern of land degradation in the UER differ from place to place and from time to time  which may be attributed  to land use types and intensity. The study therefore concludes that although the general surfaces appearance is important, localized land degradation and short term degradations are likely to be overlooked. Assessing desertification in continuum should reflect both temporal and spatial land degradation degradation trajectories. These trajectories have implications for identifying the cause or causes of degradation and developing targeted approach both at the regional and local levels. In the case of the UER, efforts at combating desertification would more likely be effective at locality level where decisions on land preparation, including the use of fire, the timing and the method of cultivation is likely to be effectively enforced. Key Words: desertification, continuum, pixel, spatio-tempora

Detecting and Quantifying Desertification in the Upper East Region of Ghana using Multi-spatial and Multi-Temporal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index

The need for process and indicator-based approach for assessing desertification is paramount to the drive to combat desertification in sub-Sahara Africa. It is in line with this that this study sought an approach based on early indicator, which can be measured in a continuum and at multispation and multitemporal scale in order to eliminate short-term phonological variations which are not direct character of desertification in its measurement. The study focused on surface vegetation change trends, as depicted by NDVI, on the African continent, Sahel Africa and the Upper East Region to detect and quantify desertification.  The study analyzed NDVI from AVHRR GIMMS NDVIg data (1982-2007) and validated that with Landsat TM5 data (1984-2007). The multitemporal and multispatial validation technique was used to analysis annual temporal and spatial mean NDVI change trends over 26 years. The study finds that temporal NDVI of the African continent has a linear relationship with the seasonal rainfall changes of the year. The mean monthly NDVI for the African region also shows greenness disparity between the northern and southern halves of the continent. It was further observed that mean annual NDVI decrease occurred between 1982 -1983, 1988, 1994, and the largest stretch of decrease expanding over 8 years occurred from 1997-2005. The rise and fall of the NDVI trend from 1982-1997 suggest regular drought on the African continent while the 8-year decrease from 1997-2005 suggests a period of desiccation. These notwithstanding, the NDVI trend of the African continent show no evidence of desertification over the study period. The mean NDVI of the Sahel Africa shows that between 1982 and 1990 NDVI was rising and falling, portraying inter-annual rainfall irregularities of the region. The period 1995-2001 saw NDVI recovering above average, with the highest mean NDVI in 2001. NDVI fell below average from 2002 to 2006. On the average, NDVI of the Sahel Africa increased by about 2.6% during the period under study. Temporal NDVI of the UER also shows rise and fall trends similar to the Africa and Sahel Africa. However, UER NDVI increased by a higher percentage point 6.7%, as compared to the Sahel Africa average of 2.6% over the 26-year study period. The spatial analysis focused on pixels that lost and those that gained surface greenness over the reference period. The study compared three periods; 1982-1990, 1990-1999 and 1999 - 2007.An average of 19 pixels (8km2) equals 152 km2 lost vegetation (1982-1990), while 280 pixels, equivalent to 2240 km2, gained vegetation. The maximum gain for 1990-1999 was almost 48% of the maximum NDVI for 1987 and 2007. Although GIMMS NDVIg did not find much land degradation, the LTM NDVI shows widespread pockets of spatial degradation in the UER which were not visible in the GIMMS NDVIg. The study concluded that spatial resolution of satellite data changes land degradation dynamics observed in the analysis. Key Words: Detecting and quantifying desertification, multi-spatial, multi-temporal

Efforts at evicting street hawkers from the streets of Accra: the good and the bad

By operating in public spaces not authorized for trading activities, street hawkers offer various products for sale in order to eke out a living. However, the activity of street hawking finds itself at the wrong side of the laws governing the use of city-space. Several attempts by city authorities to evict hawkers operating at these unauthorized locations have yielded limited results. The number of street hawkers multiply day in and day out, even at locations previously not noted for hawking on the streets of Accra. This study sought to understand the motivation for the return of street hawkers amidst city authorities’ ban of street hawking and subsequent forceful eviction by city taskforce personnel. The study finds that hawkers have and will continue to resist eviction from the street as their own survival and that of an average of four (4) dependents solely rest on daily incomes made from hawking. The study also finds that the persistence of traffic congestion, the lack of effective policing of hawking spots, the minimal entry capital required to start hawking and the potential of obtaining substantial turnover over and above public sector wage will continue to fuel street hawking in Accra. The study recommends that an assessment and enforcement of the land use regulations as well an effective management of traffic flows in the city are likely to serve as a disincentive to hawking. Again street hawking is likely to be controlled if policies are directed at keeping children in school beyond junior high school level. Hawking in Accra is dominated by people who are not able to pursue academic study beyond senior high school and therefore have little employable skills. Suggestions are also made with regards to the reconciliation of data on street hawkers and their contributions to the economy both at the local and national level, in order to appreciate the demographic characteristics of city dwellers as well as their need to survive even as they strive to maintain modern cities and towns. Key words: Hawking, Metropolis, Accra, Taskforce, Living, Cit

An assessment of urban vegetation abundance in Accra metropolitan area, Ghana : a geospatial approach

The essential role played by urban vegetation in making urban areas livable is often overlooked in many developing cities. This is the case of Ghana where its capital, Accra is developing at the expense of urban vegetation. This study was conducted at the metropolitan area of Accra to estimate how the extent of vegetation cover has changed in the period of 1986-2013, using remote sensing satellite data from Landsat TM and ETM+. Furthermore, views of key informants were assessed on changes in the livability of the city of Accra which may be attributed to loss of urban green vegetation in the city. It was found that between 1986 and 2013, 42.53 km2 of vegetation was lost representing 64.6% of total vegetation in 1986. The rate of change in vegetation cover between 1986 and 1991 measured around 2.14% of the total land area annually. This however, reduced in the subsequent years measuring 0.26% between 2002 and 2008. Key informants interviewed, also believe that the loss of vegetation in the city creates livability concerns relating to ecosystem functioning, temperature rise and air quality. It is therefore recommended for urban planners and decision makers to address three critical concerns of resilience, sustainability and livability, which are the missing links in the city development agenda

Shoreline Change Analysis of the Eastern Coast of Ghana between 1991 and 2020

The Eastern Coastline of Ghana is facing intense natural and anthropogenic disturbances, which pose a serious threat to the coastal community, ecosystem, and livelihoods. This study assessed the shoreline changes occurring along the Eastern Coast of Ghana stretching 149 km from Laloi Lagoon West of Prampram to Aflao, Ghana. The study utilizes satellite images from Landsat 4TM, Landsat 7 ETM+, and Landsat 8 OLI taken between 1991 and 2020. Data pre-processing techniques using ENVI 5.3 included calibration, layer stacking, mosaicking, and supervised classification. Post-classification shorelines were extracted using ArcGIS 10.7, and the DSAS tool was used to determine the rate of change over the 29-year period. The results showed that the coastline experienced an average erosion rate of 9 m/y and a maximum rate of 24 m/y, however, the accretion rate (3 m/y) was much lower, reflecting general coastline retreat. Thus, some 25 coastal communities are highly exposed to shoreline erosion. Sustaining the coastal area may require coastline re-engineering interventions. This study recommends continuous monitoring of the shorelines to ensure the protection of livelihoods. Implementation of both hard engineering and ecosystem-based adaptation strategies may be required to achieve holistic results toward sustainable coastal management

District-level analysis of socio-demographic factors and COVID-19 infections in Greater Accra and Ashanti regions, Ghana

Since December 2019 when COVID-19 was detected, it took the world by surprise in terms of spread and morbidity/mortality. The high rate of spread and casualties recorded from COVID-19 called for research in all directions to find ways to contain and reverse the incidences. It is against this background that this paper sought to measure the association of the socio-demographic factors in the hard-hit districts in Greater Accra and Ashanti to analyze its relationship with the novel COVID-19 virus. Data on COVID-19 cases from 35 Districts in both Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions were collected from the Ghana Health Service and population data from Ghana Statistical Service. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were generated using R. We found that some socio-demographic variables have an association with COVID-19 infections. For example, age and religion especially Christianity and Islam pose risk to COVID-19. The population aged 15–64 was particularly at high risk of infections due to the high level of movement of this age group. We, therefore, recommend that places of congregation such as Churches and Mosques be targeted for vigorous sensitization on COVID-19 protocols and prevention. Also, districts with a high population between the ages of 15–64 should step sensitization efforts to educate their inhabitants on the need to reduce travel and related activities to curb the spread of the virus

Space-time cube approach in analysing conflicts in Africa

In terms of conflict types and occurrences, there is a mesh of old, new, and concurrent conflicts which coexist and are affecting each other over space and time. Existing conflict studies are unable to fully explicate the space-time elements, hence this generates static and two-dimensional hotspots/coldspots. Using Africa as a case, this study used three-dimensional space-time cube, with conflict occurrences grouped into bins where space is mapped horizontally and time is mapped vertically for analysis. Analysis of conflict based on the three dimensional space-time cube produced four main categories of hotspots namely consecutive, sporadic, oscillating, and new hotspots. Furthermore, the causes of conflicts in Africa varied significantly across each time-based hotspot, providing insight into why straightjacket solutions have been unsuccessful. Conflict managers can learn from the patterns of time-based hotspots which helps to see conflicts as three-dimensional entities needing with three levels of orientation that focus on type, space, and time instantaneously

Ways of creating usable, multipurpose greenspace in impoverished settlements in cities of the Global South

This chapter looks at how urban greenspace has developed and is being managed in Hanoi, Viet Nam and Accra, Ghana as examples of how problems faced by communities and local governments in providing and protecting urban green infrastructure have developed and are being overcome. Hanoi is interesting in that due to its colonial history, greenspace planning has been influenced by ideas from France, the Soviet Union, and domestic economic liberation and globalization. Remotely sensed satellite images show that land formerly consisting mostly of greenspaces and open spaces is being converted to paved and constructed surfaces. The first is the cost of keeping green areas as compared to the benefits of destroying greenspaces in the city environment. In urban planning, greenspaces often refer to publicly accessible lands that contain a high proportion of vegetation and are mainly designed for leisure activities

Livelihood Changes, Spatial Anticontagion Policy Effects, and Structural Resilience of National Food Systems in a Sub-Saharan African Country Context: A Panel Machine Learning Approach

The livelihood changes due to the COVID-19 policies in low-income and transitional economies serve as a lever for gauging the structural resilience of national food systems. Yet, few studies have addressed the cascading effects of the pandemic policies on the livelihood changes of farming system actors or modeled and provided coherent hypotheses about the transitory structural shifts at the micro-level. Other studies on the subject have either captured the early impacts of the pandemic on food systems with limited or no insight into the sub-Saharan African context or have used macro-level data, due to sparsely available micro-level data. These early insights are relevant for the design of early warning systems. However, an ongoing and deeper insight into the effects of pandemic policies is critical, since new and more comprehensive policies are needed to address the economic fallout and the extenuating effects of COVID-19 on food supply chain disruptions. The overriding questions are as follows: what are the effects of the pandemic policies on the livelihoods of food system actors and are there spatial-economic variations in the effects of the pandemic policies on the livelihoods of the farming system actors? Using 2019 and 2020 primary data from 836 farming system actors in Ghana, we offer fresh insights into the transitory micro-level livelihood changes caused by the COVID-19 anticontagion policies. We analyzed the data using the generalized additive, subset regression, classical linear, and logistic regression models in a machine learning framework. We show that the changes in the livelihood outcomes of the food system actors in Ghana coincide with the nature of pandemic mitigation policies adopted in the spatial units. We found that the lockdown policies had a negative and significant effect on the livelihoods of the farming system actors in the lockdown areas. The policies also negatively affected the livelihoods of the farming system actors in distant communities that shared no direct boundary with the lockdown areas. On the contrary, the lockdown policies positively affected the livelihoods of the farming system actors in the directly contiguous communities to the lockdown areas. We also document the shifts in the livelihood outcomes of the farming system actors, such as income, employment, food demand, and food security in the different spatial policy areas