Hydrology of the major water sources of Lake Bosomtwe in Ghana

The paper seeks to identify the major inflows of Lake Bosomtwe, the meteoritic lake sited in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. It seeks to establish major annual flows as against the lake evaporation in an attempt to establish the water balance of the lake with a view to understanding the factors that are critical to the sustainability of the lake. The average annual rainfall observed in the catchment was estimated to be 350 mm. This is far lower than the average long-term rainfall recorded in the area, of 1,565.9 mm for the period 1950-1971 or that of 1,263.4 mm for the period 1971 to 1991. Even though there appears to be a decline in the two periods, indicating reduction in rainfall amounts with time, the recorded rainfall is not representative. Based on the recorded rainfall and stream flow data, an estimated annual inflow of 0.14027 km3 was derived, with the major inflows being direct rainfall onto the lake surface (99.81%), Nana Abrewa stream (0.15%), Abono bɔ stream (0.04%) and Atafram stream (0.00% insignificant). In view of the reduced flows as a result of lower rainfalls, it is prudent to both conserve and adapt measures to ensure the lake is sustainably managed

Sustainability and the Social Construction of Technology: The Case of RWH as Source of Water Supply in Greater Accra

The paper discusses the sustainability of roof rainwater harvesting (RWH) in Greater Accra, Ghana We take a holistic approach, but focus especially on the social dimension. The discussion is grounded in a research and development project including a holistic sustainability assessment of selected RWH designs based on LCA, cost-benefit analysis and a KAP survey, as well as training of local artisans, stakeholder dialogue and pilot implementation of 21 RWH systems. The performance of the systems largely met the expectation. The households could expect long-term savings, and there were benefits in terms of convenience, hygiene and water sharing. On the other hand, high initial costs, limited awareness, and lack of capacity to implement supportive policies were impediments to wide-scale adoption. The sustainability of the solutions is discussed in further detail. A social construction of technology (SCOT) perspective is applied to throw light on how the stakeholders constructed drivers, barriers, and indeed the technical solutions themselves. We find that the technology was at a stage of low stabilization, meaning-wise, and this clearly affected its sustainability in the local context. The findings suggest that more attention should be paid to social construction in sustainability research and transition efforts.publishedVersio

Sustainability and the Social Construction of Technology: The Case of RWH as Source of Water Supply in Greater Accra

The paper discusses the sustainability of roof rainwater harvesting (RWH) in Greater Accra, Ghana We take a holistic approach, but focus especially on the social dimension. The discussion is grounded in a research and development project including a holistic sustainability assessment of selected RWH designs based on LCA, cost-benefit analysis and a KAP survey, as well as training of local artisans, stakeholder dialogue and pilot implementation of 21 RWH systems. The performance of the systems largely met the expectation. The households could expect long-term savings, and there were benefits in terms of convenience, hygiene and water sharing. On the other hand, high initial costs, limited awareness, and lack of capacity to implement supportive policies were impediments to wide-scale adoption. The sustainability of the solutions is discussed in further detail. A social construction of technology (SCOT) perspective is applied to throw light on how the stakeholders constructed drivers, barriers, and indeed the technical solutions themselves. We find that the technology was at a stage of low stabilization, meaning-wise, and this clearly affected its sustainability in the local context. The findings suggest that more attention should be paid to social construction in sustainability research and transition efforts