Landcover Change Patterns in the Volta Gorge Area, Ghana: Interpretations from Satellite Imagery

In much of the developing world, shifting cultivation is the predominant agricultural system usually practised by farmers, which is associated with increasing the unit of land under cultivation in order to increase the output. This small-scale shifting agricultural practices based primarily on burning has been the factor responsible for the conversion of forest fringe vegetation into cropland and pasture and it initiates a continuum of changes in the land cover and consequently fragmentation of the landscape. Since the construction of the Akosombo Dam in 1965, the potential for farming and fishing has increased tremendously within the Volta gorge area and this has resulted in the influx of many settler farmers and fisher folk into the area. This brought so much pressure on the natural resource base of the area and has transformed the landscape accordingly. Within this paper we aim at the estimation of the trend in changes of the landscape using multi-temporal satellite image processing and spatial change analysis. We also seek to determine the land use / cover change in the Volta gorge area of the Volta basin of Ghana for the period 1975 to 2007. Land cover change and agricultural expansion was observed through digital processing and classification based on five multi-temporal medium resolution satellite imagery (Landsat: 1975, 1990, 2000, 2003, 2007) into five classes. From this, accurately classified pixel information was used to determine each landcover class size and the number of changed pixels into other classes through change detection. The study shows that significant changes in the landscape involved a general pattern of conversion of both Closed forest and Open forest and woodland into cropland, fallow lands, pasture, and Bare areas consisting of settlements, roads and exposed soil surfaces. For the period under consideration 1975-2007, the Agricultural class increased from 52,605 hectares in 1975 to become the land cover type with the highest proportion of cover at 221,567 hectares in 2007. The study concludes among others that the expansion of agriculture has increased in all directions with the amount of land devoted to cropland and pasture increasing for all slope categories but more especially for less steeper slopes. Keywords: Landuse/landcover, Multi-temporal, Digital processing, Change detectio

Investigating the potability of water from dug wells: A case study of the Bolgatanga Township, Ghana

The aim of this study was to assess the levels of some physico-chemical and microbial water quality parameters in fifteen hand-dug wells in Bolgatanga of the Upper East region of Ghana. The effects of seasonal variation and proximity to pollution sources on the concentrations of some parameters of the well water samples were analysed. The results revealed that, total and faecal coliforms in all fifteen samples exceeded the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended thresholds for potable water in the dry season. Total coliform, faecal coliform, pH, conductivity, and turbidity, total dissolved solid and total hardness increased in concentration during the rainy season, pointing to infiltrations from storm water. Effect of distance from pollution sources was also pronounced on faecal and total coliform counts, which decreased with increasing distance from pollution sources. It is recommended that these wells be disinfected before use.Key words: Bacteriological, drinking water, potable, water supply, water quality

Relationship between Rainfall-Runoff on the White Volta River at Pwalugu of the Volta Basin in Ghana

Rainfall and runoff patterns affect mans activities in so many ways and as such, designs of agricultural, storm water management, telecommunication, erosion, droughts, food security etc.  It is essential that the role of rainfall and stream flow are recognized, understood and taken into account when modelling hydrological processes within any Basin. The Pwalugu  catchment in the White Volta Basin experiences one rainy season which usually begins from April and peaks up in July, August, and September and gradually end with some showers in October and part of November. The basis of the analysis comprises of the rainfall events and runoff of the White Volta River at Pwalugu, to determine the relationship between the rainfall events and runoff and also estimates the contribution of rainfall to runoff by a certain threshold of rainfall. The analysis shows that the period is characterized by high inter-seasonal rainfall and discharge variability with a correlation coefficient of 0.78 which showed a strong positive relationship between rainfall and runoff in the catchment. For the linear regression relationships of cumulated rainfall events and discharges for the various years considered for the study, it is realized that 2003 and 2009 recorded the highest coefficients of correlation of 0.96 and 0.92 respectively. The studies showed that the minimum rainfall that can cause runoff in the catchment is 25mm which was set as a threshold. It is also observed from the analysis that a rainfall of at least 18mm can contribute 0.2m3/s of water to river flow with a correlation coefficient of 0.90 indicating a strong relationship between rainfall and riverflow. Keywords:Rainfall, Runoff, Volta Basin, Intensity, Threshol

A historical overview of Western medicine and health in Ghana in the twentieth century

Traditional therapy was dominant in Ghana. However, by the 19th to 20th centuries, scientific medicine had been fully introduced to the people of Ghana. There is a growing tendency in the research of medicine in Ghana. Some scholarly works had been published on Western medicine; however, all these works had not been brought together in analyzing the history of scientific medicine in Ghana. This work conducts an opportunistic historical overview of Western medicine and health in Ghana through the twentieth century. This is to bring to light some scholarly literature on Western medicine in Ghana, of which further research could be conducted. Some selected works that were relevant in the study of the history of western medical practices and health issues in Ghana were looked at

Menstrual health management in some selected basic schools in Ghana

This study explored the issue of menstrual health management by the girl-child in a first-cycle institution in North-East Ghana, and how this impacted on her school attendance and performance. It also discussed the common obstacles she encountered as she attended school during monthly menstrual cycle, and how she coped. The discussion is centred on the following main themes of the role of parents, teachers and peers; the financial burden; the adequacy of school facilities; and the impact on school attendance and performance. The study recommends that the school atmosphere must be made conducive for the girl-child to be able to achieve her full potential, so that she can safely and hygienically perform a natural function in the process of her growth

Assessing the Impact of a Dam on the Livelihood of Surrounding Communities: A Case Study of Vea Dam in the Upper East Region of Ghana

River basins are well known as the origin of advanced human social development and cultural heritage which ancient and modern communities have depended on for livelihood, commerce and habitat. Dam is one of the many man-made alterations to river basins that have been built for centuries and without doubt have contributed to the development of many nations. However, their social, health and environmental impacts have in too many cases not been assessed most often in developing countries. This research sought to explore and understand the Vea Dam within the context of socio-economic and health impacts on the host communities. Secondary data were collected from Irrigation Company of Upper Region and Bongo District Assembly in Ghana whilst primary data were obtained through random and stratified sampling. The results revealed that 2.6% and 66% of the respondents are employed in the fishery sector and irrigation sector, respectively. The dam necessitated the relocation of about 34% of the communities and on the average two people are drown annually in the Dam. The prevalence of water borne diseases after the construction of the Dam was also perceived by the communities to have increased. The Dam has both positive and negative socio-economic and health impacts on the surrounding communities with the benefits outweighing the negative impacts. The availability of potable drinking water in the area has created development with inevitable rise in standard of living. The study also revealed that agricultural activities, freshwater fishery and availability of water for irrigation of farmlands have improved. However, an enhancement in the beneficial impacts and minimization of the adverse impacts would help better livelihood in the communities. Keywords: Bongo District, Impacts of a dam, Livelihood, Socio-economic, Vea Da

Routine Surveillance Data as a Resource for Planning Integration of NTD Case Management

Background: There is a high burden of morbidity due to neglected tropical diseases. To help address this, the World Health Organization recommends integration of case management (CM). Here, we present a practical framework designed to identify areas that could benefit from an integrated CM strategy in Ghana. We also investigated the accessibility of primary health care (PHC) to CM cases, and the impact of this on morbidity at diagnosis. Methods: Routinely detected cases of Buruli ulcer (BU) and leprosy, and suspected lymphedema identified through morbidity surveys during mass drug administration campaigns in Ghana in 2014 were remotely georeferenced. We estimated distances from cases’ home communities to the nearest primary healthcare facility (PHC), and compared rates of reported disease, completeness of clinical information, and risk of more severe morbidity, relative to PHC accessibility. Results: We georeferenced communities of 295/350 reported leprosy cases, 240/333 BU cases, and 1,557/2383 instances of lymphedema. Overlap of these diseases was predominantly around Accra and in the Upper East Region. Rates of reported disease appeared higher in populations with higher accessibility to PHC, and leprosy cases living further from PHC had a higher risk of disability at diagnosis. Conclusions: This investigation demonstrates the feasibility and value of using routinely collected data to map CM-NTDs at low cost. The maps presented are intended to provide a resource for planning the implementation of integrated CM for NTDs in Ghana. This approach could be easily implemented by national health services in other endemic countries in the future

Looking back and moving forward: 50 years of soil and soil fertility management research in sub-Saharan Africa

Article purchased; Published online: 02 Nov 2017Low and declining soil fertility has been recognized for a long time as a major impediment to intensifying agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Consequently, from the inception of international agricultural research, centres operating in SSA have had a research programme focusing on soil and soil fertility management, including the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA). The scope, content, and approaches of soil and soil fertility management research have changed over the past decades in response to lessons learnt and internal and external drivers and this paper uses IITA as a case study to document and analyse the consequences of strategic decisions taken on technology development, validation, and ultimately uptake by smallholder farmers in SSA. After an initial section describing the external environment within which soil and soil fertility management research is operating, various dimensions of this research area are covered: (i) ‘strategic research’, ‘Research for Development’, partnerships, and balancing acts, (ii) changing role of characterization due to the expansion in geographical scope and shift from soils to farms and livelihoods, (iii) technology development: changes in vision, content, and scale of intervention, (iv) technology validation and delivery to farming communities, and (v) impact and feedback to the technology development and validation process. Each of the above sections follows a chronological approach, covering the last five decades (from the late 1960s till today). The paper ends with a number of lessons learnt which could be considered for future initiatives aiming at developing and delivering improved soil and soil fertility management practices to smallholder farming communities in SSA

Institutional outlook of the entrepreneurial climate in Ghana

Purpose – Previous scholarly studies on institutions tend to create a sombre picture of institutions by ignoring to examine the antecedents of formal and informal institutions. The purpose of this paper is to overcome this limitation by proposing a conceptual framework of the antecedents of formal and informal institutions of entrepreneurial climate in a less developed market setting. Design/methodology/approach – This study builds on a comprehensive survey of the literature on institutions by using a synthesis thematic methodology to identified key scholarly studies which have been published in previous theoretical and empirical studies and proposes a conceptual framework of the role of formal and informal institutions in defining entrepreneurial climate in a developing economy’s context. Findings – The findings of the paper suggest that political factors and economic factors define formal institutions whilst socio-cultural factors define informal institutions. These factors rooted in political, economic and socio-cultural factors have a major influence on the rate and nature of entrepreneurial activity in a developing country setting. Practical implications – This paper contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship and intuitional theory by focusing on the antecedents of formal and informal institutional factors that shape entrepreneurial climate in Ghana. Originality/value – To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first review that explores the nature of entrepreneurial climate and proposes a conceptual framework of the role of formal and informal institutions in defining entrepreneurial climate in Ghana