Multiple hazards risk profiling in West Africa : Assessment, Validation and Upscaling

Disasters, particularly recurring small-scale natural disasters of floods and droughts have been affecting West African (WA) communities, impacting particularly weak households. These losses have been significantly high over the last decade due to increasing climate variability and inherently depressed socio-economic systems. However, to date, few studies have attempted to understand the vulnerability profiles in WA to these multiple hazards across several scales. A considerable number of studies predict the impacts of droughts and floods hazards, but many do so at a very coarse scale and without any participatory process, as a result, they are unable to predict localized impacts. Despite many efforts put in vulnerability assessments, there has been limited success in simultaneously traversing scale and hierarchy and the need for upscaling risk indices is important to understand the effects of cross scale interactions. To address these gaps, this thesis (i) explored methods to involve at-risk populations in local communities in a bottom-up participatory process as opposed to the classical top-down, single scale approaches and (ii) assessed the risks from multi-hazard perspectives in a coupled Socio-Ecological System (SES). The thesis also (iii) explored appropriate methodologies that can reflect the spatial variability of flood hazard intensity at community level. Building on these investigations, the thesis finally (iv) introduced a novel risk index upscaling procedure to upscale risk and vulnerability indices across multiple scales. The thesis used several methods ranging from rural participatory methods, statistical, Geographic Information System (GIS), remote sensing and introduced the innovative concept of Community Impact Score (CIS). The results show that more than half of the designated local level indicators and over two thirds of the macro scale indicators are rarely used in present risk assessments in the region. Additionally, although an indicator may be common to three countries, their differential rankings will result in differences in explaining the risks faced by people in different societies. Empirical validation of a flood hazard map using the statistical confusion matrix and the principles of participatory GIS show that flood hazard areas could be mapped at an accuracy ranging from 77% to 81%. These high mapping accuracies notwithstanding, the flood index categories may change under conditions of very high rainfall intensities beyond the anomalies used to construct the model. To this end, studies that aim at understanding projected flood intensities under varying rainfall conditions beyond the anomalies used in this study are recommended. This is important to determine the trajectory of flood safe havens or hotspots across an entire study area. The study also develops two important indices, The West Sudanian Community Vulnerability Index (WESCVI) and The West Sudanian Community Risk Index (WESCRI). The underlying factors constituting the two indices are the elements of risk and vulnerability profiles of communities in West Africa. The WESCVI and WESCRI should help planners and policy makers to analyse and finally reduce vulnerability and risk. To evaluate the results of the risk indices, this thesis introduces a novel technique to validate the results of complex aggregation methods. Based on up to date knowledge, the CIS concept is the first in the available literature of risk assessment. The thesis also provides a theoretical concept to upscale risk and vulnerability indicators from watershed to higher spatial scales. Further studies are however recommended to apply these theoretical concepts. A conclusion of the thesis is that while it has neither been optimal to completely neglect classical approaches nor to take as an absolute fact opinion from local experts, more emphasis should be paid to the later in risk assessment that is supposed to serve the very people on whose behalf the assessment is done. Attempts should therefore be made in finding mechanisms where the two approaches could interact fruitfully and complement each other.Mehrfach-Gefährdungen und Risikoprofile in West Afrika : Abschätzung, Validierung und Hochskalierung Naturgefahren, wie beispielsweise Überflutungen und Dürren, bedrohen die Existenz von Gemeinden und insbesondere schwächeren Haushalten in West Afrika. Durch die zunehmende Klimavariabilität und den geschwächten Zustand der sozial-ökologischen Systeme haben die Verluste während der letzten Dekade ein besonders hohes Ausmaß erreicht. Bisher haben nur wenige Studien versucht, die unterschiedliche Zusammensetzung des Risikos im Hinblick auf mehrere Naturgefahren in Westafrika zu verstehen und über verschiedene Skalen hinweg, von ländlichen Gemeinden hin zu Wassereinzugsgebieten, Distrikten und Regionen zu analysieren. Eine signifikante Anzahl von Studien prognostiziert die zu erwarteten Schäden durch Naturgefahren wie Überflutungen und Dürren. Dies geschieht jedoch oftmals auf einem sehr groben Maßstab, wohingegen wenig über die lokalen Auswirkungen bekannt ist. Trotz mannigfaltiger Anstrengungen in Bezug auf Vulnerabilitätsassessments gab es bisher wenig Erfolg bei der Berücksichtigung verschiedener Skalen und Hierarchien. Die Hochskalierung von Risikoindizes ist jedoch nötig, um die Effekte über verschiedene Skalen hinweg zu verstehen. Diese Forschungslücken werden in dieser Arbeit aufgegriffen und mit methodischen Verfahren über einen „Bottom-up“-Ansatz adressiert, der zunächst die gefährdete Bevölkerung involviert, um die Risiken gegenüber von mehrfachen Gefährdungen in einem sozio-ökologischen System (SES) zu untersuchen. Außerdem verwendet die Studie Methoden, die es ermöglichen, die räumliche Variabilität der Überflutungsintensität auf Gemeindeebene zu reflektieren. Aufbauend auf diesen Forschungsergebnissen stellt diese Arbeit eine neue Vorgehensweise vor, die es erlaubt Verwundbarkeits- und Risikoindizes über verschiedene Skalen hinweg hochzuskalieren. Der Methodenmix umfasst partizipative und statistische Ansätze sowie Methoden basierend auf Geographische Informationssystemen (GIS) und Fernerkundung. Des Weiteren schlägt die Arbeit ein innovatives Konzept zur Quantifizierung der Gefährdungsauswirkungen auf Gemeindeebene vor, den sogenannten „Community Impact Score“ (CIS). Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass etwas mehr als die Hälfte der in dieser Arbeit abgeleiteten Indikatoren auf Gemeindeebene und über zwei Drittel der Indikatoren auf Makroebene selten in den gegenwärtigen Risikoassessments der Region verwendet werden. Zudem wurde den Indikatoren, selbst wenn sie für alle drei Länder abgeleitet wurden, oftmals eine unterschiedliche Wichtigkeit zugesprochen. Die empirische Validierung der Hochwassergefährdungskarten mittels einer statistischen Konfusionsmatrix basierend auf einem partizipativen GIS zeigt, dass die durch Hochwasser gefährdeten Gebiete mit einer Genauigkeit von 77-81% kartiert werden konnten. Trotz dieser hohen Genauigkeit ist es jedoch möglich, dass sich die Hochwassergefährdungskategorien bei Anomalitäten, die über die modellierten Bedingungen hinausreichen, verändern. Dementsprechend werden weiterführende Studien, die eben diese Bedingungen untersuchen empfohlen. Dies ist zur Bestimmung von sicheren Zufluchtsorten oder Hotspots von großer Bedeutung. In dieser Studie wurden außerdem zwei verschiedene Indizes entwickelt, der sogenannte „West Sudanian Community Vulnerability Index“ (WESCVI) und der „West Sudanian Community Risk Index“ (WESCRI). Die den Indizes zugrunde liegenden Faktoren bilden außerdem die Bestandteile der Risiko- und Vulnerabilitätsprofile für die Gemeinden Westafrikas. Sowohl der WESCVI als auch der WESCRI sollen Planern und politischen Entscheidungsträgern dabei helfen, die Vulnerabilität und das Risiko zu analysieren und zu reduzieren. Um die Ergebnisse der Risikoindizes zu evaluieren stellt diese Arbeit ein innovatives Konzept zur Validierung solch komplexer Aggregationsmethoden vor. Nach aktuellem Kenntnisstand ist das CIS Konzept das erste seiner Art in der erhältlichen Literatur zu Risikoassessments. Des Weiteren wurde ein theoretisches Konzept zur Hochskalierung von Risiko- und Vulnerabilitätsindizes von Wassereinzugsgebieten hin zu höheren Ebenen erarbeitet.Dieses theoretische Konzept bietet eine Basis für weiterführende Untersuchungen im Hinblick auf die Anwendung und Umsetzung. Insgesamt unterstreicht diese Studie, dass weder die klassischen Ansätze allein noch das Gleichsetzen von lokalem Expertenwissen mit der absoluten Wahrheit als optimal erachtet werden können. Die Studie zeigt, dass man dem lokalen Expertenwissen in Risikoassessments mehr Gewicht beimessen sollte. Dementsprechend sollten Ansätze gefunden werden, bei denen sich beide Herangehensweisen erfolgreich ergänzen

Does Emotional Intelligence Influence an Employee's Job Satisfaction? An Empirical Assessment

Since job performance is a function of job satisfaction and emotional intelligence, the current research empirically evaluates the association between emotional intelligence and job satisfaction of respondents. The research tests whether emotional intelligence significantly affect job satisfaction or not. The research is based on a quantitative, descriptive cross-sectional survey. The sample size is 140 and they were selected through the convenience sample method. Primary data was collected using a self-designed questionnaire in the Likert scale format, and were administered at the job places of the respondents. Data were analysed using the Pearson correlation and the linear regression analysis methods, and presented in Tables. The research findings of the study indicated a positive significant association between overall emotional intelligence and job satisfaction. There is also a positive significant association between three out of the four dimensions of emotional intelligence evaluated and job satisfaction. The findings indicate that respondents higher on the emotional intelligence scale are more satisfied than respondents lower on the emotional intelligence scale. The findings imply that emotional intelligence is a multidimensional construct. Management of organisations should consider implementing measures that will improve emotional intelligence to ensure job satisfaction of workers. Further study should consider the causal analysis and also introduce control variables such as gender and age to determine if the current findings will be replicated

Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) - An Analytical Tool in the Prioritization of Water Resources Management Problems in Ghana

The rapid impact assessment (RIAM), which was developed in Denmark, is a new tool for the execution of environmental impact assessments. RIAM is quite flexible, transparent and leaves a permanent record, which can be independently checked, validated or updated. RIAM has successfully been used to prioritize water resources management problems in Ghana in the order of which problems call for the most urgent attention. The priority list was easily validated and accepted to be the true reflection of the situation at a national workshop in which experts and representatives from water agencies, donor agencies, university faculties and departments, research institutes, private institutions and organizations including Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) participated. The study has shown that RIAM, which can also be used in a developing country like Ghana, is a very useful tool in such prioritization process as has been applied in this exercise

FDI, INFLATION, EXCHANGE RATE AND GROWTH IN GHANA: EVIDENCE FROM CAUSALITY AND COINTEGRATED ANALYSIS

This study used co-integrated analysis and Granger causality test in modelling the Growth Domestics Products (GDP) of Ghana with other three selected macroeconomic such as Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), inflation and real exchange rate for the period of 1980 to 2013. Data were taken from the World Bank’s World Development Indicators and Bank of Ghana. The objectives of the study are to examine both long-run relationships and direction of causality between the GDP and the macroeconomic variables. The time series properties of the data were, first, analysed using the Augmented Dickey-Fuller (ADF) test and KPSS test. The empirical results derived indicate that all the variables were stationary after their first differencing; i.e. variables are integrated of order one. The study further established that there is co-integration between the selected macroeconomic variables and GDP in Ghana indicating long run relationship. The above long term relation indicates that exchange rate and foreign direct investments have a negative effect on GDP whiles Inflation (CPI) showed a positive effect on GDP. The study further investigated the causal relationship using the Granger Causality analysis, which indicates a unidirectional causality between GDP growth rate and exchange rate and bidirectional causality between Inflation rate and Exchange, and also between Inflation rate and GDP, whiles FDI does not granger cause Inflation rate, exchange rate, GDP and visa versa in Ghana for the study period at 5%

PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES IN CREATIVE ARTS: USING THE RIGHT APPROACH FOR EFFECTIVE DELIVERY

This study examined the possibility of improving the teaching and learning of Creative Arts among Pupils of Akom D/A Primary School. The study aimed at using demonstration and activity methods to enhance the quality of teaching and learning of Creative arts and also to develop pupil’s interest in the subject. The study used Qualitative and quantitative methods with Observation and Questionnaire as research instruments to collect data from fifty (50) Pupils in Primary three (3). The data collected was analyzed using tables, charts, figures and percentages. Demonstrations followed by series of practical lessons aroused pupil’s interest and improves upon the teaching and learning of Visual arts aspects of the Creative Arts syllabus. It was noted from the students that discussion alone doesn’t help them in learning creative Arts. Creative arts subject is practical oriented; therefore any discussion must be followed with demonstration and practical lessons for better appreciation and understanding of the subject.  Article visualizations

Capital maintenance study, the case of water supply systems in selected small towns

This Capital Maintenance Expenditure (CapManEx) study of seven Small Towns’ Water Systems provides understanding of the recurrent cost elements needed for sustainable services delivery. Field visits were carried out to the water systems and copies of available records on O&M were obtained. A data classification guide was used to classify the data and adjusted to the year 2011 using Gross Domestic Product deflators. The classified data was annualised to find the average total cumulative cost

Avocado Pear as a Source of Inspiration for the Design of a Model Truck as a Desk Organiser

This publication seeks to explore and design a model truck with a concept idea development that will serve as a desk organizer. The automobile selected is a semi-truck that has a sleeper. The sleeper is what serves as a resting place for drivers during long journeys. This truck is best suited for the concept because of the sleeper to convey all necessary compartments to accommodate office supplies. Observation of most desk organizers found on the desk of some general offices are containers that have simple shapes like cylinders, boxes where items are placed. These organizers do not add any aesthetic appeal to the office since it's very simple and the items placed in them are not singled out thereby making accessing them inconvenient. There is also no distinct design that will make them stand out and also welcome the visitor. This research explores various design ideas of combining the truck concept into a desk organizer. The descriptive research and studio-based methods based on the qualitative research approach were employed. The researchers rather employed the use of an inanimate object being Avocado or Pear fruit as the design inspiration that guided all design experiments. The Latin word for Pear is 'Pirum', which means to 'bear fruit'. Every nation's income is partly dependent on the money generated from the movement of goods and services. Therefore, for a nation to bear fruit economically, the import and export of goods and services must be very effective. Trucks are very instrumental in conveying these goods and services across the country. The design is meant to serve as a wheel of academia where all necessary items needed at offices are well organized and conveyed for knowledge acquisition. To explore and produce further unique objects of product design that can serve a completely different purpose aside its original purpose or its aesthetic appearance and value was recommended. It was also recommended that there should be a form of collaboration with other departments to produce interesting results. There should be a collaboration between the Metal Product Design Section and the Engineering Section to produce works of art where the engineers introduce their technological concepts into the design ideas and concepts of the Metal Product Designer. Keywords: model, truck, sentinel, desk organizer, avocado pear DOI: 10.7176/ADS/86-05 Publication date:October 31st 202

In vitro starch digestion and physicochemical properties of maize starch and maize meal modified by heat-moisture treatment and stearic acid

The physicochemical and nutritional properties of heat-moisture treated (HMT) maize starch and maize meal with stearic acid (SA) are studied. The addition of SA followed by HMT produces nongelling starch and maize meal porridge with reduced pasting viscosity. Heat-moisture treatment significantly (P ≤ 0.05) decreases the starch hydrolysis, increases resistant starch, and lowers estimated glycaemic index of both maize meal and maize starch with SA. These changes are due to a more organized crystalline structure between starch polymers and well as the formation of amylose–lipid complexes as shown by differential scanning calorimeter and X-ray diffraction. There seems to be a synergistic effect between HMT and stearic addition as HMT promotes more starch polymer interaction compared to amylose–lipid formation for stearic acid addition. These results suggest that HMT combined with SA can be used to manufacture starch-based functional ingredients and foods with reduced glycaemic index.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1521379xhj2022Consumer ScienceFood Scienc

Corporate Fraud: Causes, Effects, and Deterrence on Financial Institutions in Ghana

This paper focuses on finding the causes, effects, and deterrence and prevention of corporate fraud in the financial institution of Ghana. In particular, we examine the effects of fraud on a firm’s financial performance. A cross sectional model was used to find the effects of financial institutions fraud on financial performance. It was revealed that fraud has a significant negative effects on financial performance i.e. Return on Assets of financial institutions in Ghana. However, structured questionnaires were also used to find out the perception of Accountants, Auditors, and management on the main causes of banking fraud and deterrence and prevention methods in curbing the menace. It was revealed that weaker internal control, inadequate training and fraud policies, failed documents, and proper remuneration are the strong arsenal that causes fraud in financial institutions of Ghana. Moreover, organizational use of password protection, good remuneration, employee’s background checks, and adequate fraud training were perceived as the most deterrence and prevention method in fighting fraud in financial institutions. Our results have practical implication for management, accountants, auditors, and all stakeholders in financial institutions on the effects of fraud on firms financial performance and in mounting fool proof methods in curbing this canker and reducing it to its bearest minimum. The study contributes deterrence and prevention methods aimed at improving its effectiveness in reducing fraud in Ghana and West Africa

Relationship between physical activity and behaviour challenges of adolescents in South Africa.

BACKGROUND: Four out of five adolescents worldwide are physically inactive based on recommended standards. AIM: We determined whether physical activity is associated with lower behavioural challenges in adolescents to promote buy-in from stakeholders. SETTING: KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa, from January 2020 to March 2020. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 187 adolescent learners (12-18 years) from three government schools in KwaZulu-Natal Province, South Africa, from January to March 2020. We fitted linear regression models between the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire scores (total, internalising, externalising, and prosocial) and hours of physical activity exposure, adjusting for demographic covariates, and depression history. RESULTS: The median age was 14.4 years (interquartile range = 1.36) and 75.9% of the participants were females. Overall average and weekday physical activity were each associated with lower total and externalising but higher pro-social scores. Depression was associated with higher inactivity scores (total, internalising and externalising). CONCLUSIONS: The article shows that physical activity can reduce the behavioural and emotional problems in adolescents. CONTRIBUTION: Physical activity is critical for a healthy adolescent hood and needs to be actively included in childhood development