Highlighting the Sustainability Implications of Urbanisation: A Comparative Analysis of Two Urban Areas in Ghana

Ghana is urbanising rapidly, and over half of the country’s population have lived in urban areas since 2010. Although research has proliferated to explore Ghana’s urbanisation, there is a dearth of research that holistically explores the wider sustainability implications of urbanisation, offers comparative perspectives in the context of large and smaller urban areas, and provides a perspective of local level urbanisation in the context of resource extraction (mining). This study comparatively assesses two urban areas in Ghana (Kumasi and Obuasi), by conducting a spatio-temporal analysis of land cover change through remote sensing and by analysing demographic change through a synthesis of published population data, in order to highlight the sustainability implications of urbanisation. The results show that urbanisation has been rapid, and has resulted in changes in land cover and demography in Kumasi and Obuasi. The sustainability implications of urbanisation are identified to include limited economic opportunities, socio-spatial segregation, and destruction of natural vegetation. The evidence in this study provides insights into urbanisation in Ghana, and suggests that the positive sustainability impacts of urbanisation may be eroded by how factors such as market forces and land tenure interact at the local level

Sustainable solution or a marriage of inconvenience? The coexistence of large-scale mining and artisanal and small-scale mining on the Abosso Goldfields concession in Western Ghana

This article explores the key issues that have defined relations between operators in the artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) and large-scale mining (LSM) sectors, with emphasis on the mining terrain of Ghana since the early-1990s. The relationship between these mining parties has become increasingly tenuous in Ghana, often culminating in violent confrontation between ASM operators, on the one hand, and LSM and state security forces, on the other hand. The analysis draws on a pragmatic approach which Abosso Goldfields Limited (AGL), one of the country's major large-scale operators, adopted to accommodate ASM operators on its concession, and examines the sustainability of the approach as well as the lessons to be learnt from it.Territoriality Engagement Encroachment Legality

Regulatory structures and challenges to developmental extractives: Some practical observations from Ghana

At the heart of an effective extractive resource-based economic transformation and development is an effective regulatory framework that guides the promotion of investments into the sector, the procedure for responsible extraction, and the management of the utilization of such resources. Ghana's endowment with significant amount of ferrous and non-ferrous minerals, including gold, bauxite, manganese, diamonds, and iron ore, as well as hydrocarbons, is well known. The country has been mining gold for over a century, ranking second in production in Africa. The country has also undergone various regulatory transformations that have resulted in improvements in the mining sector in the country. Drawing largely on the case of Ghana, this paper seeks to share the experience of a regulator and offers some perspectives on the purpose, content, and challenges of the practical regulation of an extractives sector in a lower middle-income economy. The paper looks at both the design and content of a regulatory system in the mining sector of Ghana and throws light on the practical challenges (technical and political) of implementation. In light of the increasing allure of resource nationalism in current times, the paper also briefly explores the manner in which relationships are established and maintained by the regulatory bodies with both large multinational companies and small artisanal mining operations. It also offers a brief reflection on three key international standards and arrangements (the International Finance Corporation, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, and the International Council on Minerals and Metals) to highlight their impact on domestic regulations. Conclusions are drawn to underscore the importance of effective and collaborative regulations in maximizing the transformative potential of resource extraction in less developed, resource-endowed countries

Jouhevaa musiikkileikkiä : viulu työvälineenä varhaisiän musiikkikasvatuksessa

Tässä opinnäytetyönä olen tuottanut ja laatinut viulusovitusmateriaalin, jossa pyrin auttamaan pienten lasten opettajia viulun käyttämisessä opetuksen tukena. Tekemiäni sovituksia ja harjoituksia pystyy käyttämään luovasti ryhmäopetuksessa. Opinnäytetyö kuvaa materiaalia sen teon aloituksesta viimeistelyyn. Opinnäytetyön kirjallisessa osiossa raportoin materiaalin tekoprosessista ja kerron myös niiden testaamisesta omilla tunneillani. Oletan, että löytyy opettajia, jotka ovat soittaneet soitintaan pitkälle perustaso 3 saakka tai pidemmälle, mutta eivät tule ottaneeksi viulua käyttöön. Viululla on ainutlaatuiset käyttömahdollisuudet. Viulusovitukseni ja sovitusideani kattavat yhdeksän lasten- ja kansanlaulusovitusta. Sovitukset on tyypitelty kahteen joukkoon. Sovitukset 1-5 lajiteltiin sen teknisen taidon mukaan, jota viulisti tarvitsee, ja sovitukset 6-9 taas sen tyylin tai musiikkiperinteen mukaan, johon kappale perehdyttää. Materiaali kokonaisuudessaan sisältää teoriaa ja tekniikkaa koskevia näkökulmia viulunsoittoon, nuotteja sekä harjoituksia.In my final project, I designed material for teachers to help them with arranging. The objective was to increase the use of violin. The material can be used in different contexts of group music education. The theses introduces the material, how it was created from the very beginning to the finishing point. The material includes theory and technical aspects of the violin, sheet music and tasks. In the written part, I report on the process of creating the material and trying it out in my lessons and define the target group of the material. I assume that there are teachers who know how to play the violin, but they are not using the instrument in their tuition, regardless of its unique possibilities. My Violin Arrangements and arrangement ideas consist of nine arrangements of children’s and folk music. The arrangements have been divided into two categories. The arrangements 1-5 are categorized by the technique which the violinist needs and the arrangements 6-9 by their genre of music or music tradition they represent.Cd-levy: Viulusovituksia ja sovitusideoit

Spatial distribution patterns of illegal artisanal small scale gold mining (Galamsey) operations in Ghana: A focus on the Western Region

Recently, there have been efforts by stakeholders to monitor illegal mining (galamsey) activities, foster their formalization and reclaim the many abandoned wastelands in Ghana. However, limited information exists on the locations, abundance, scope and scale of galamsey types, which hinders the development of effective policy response. This study attempts to map and analyze the distribution patterns, abundance, activity statuses and the extents of nine (9) galamsey types within eleven (11) Municipal and District Assemblies (MDAs) of Ghana's Western Region. It explores the utility of field-based survey, using the Open Data Kit (ODK) system, ArcGIS and Google Earth Imagery to map and visualize different galamsey types under a hostile working environment. A total of 911 galamsey sightings, of which 547 were found in clusters (corresponding to approximately 7106 individual operational units) and 364 in stand-alone mode. Overall, a total of 7470 individual galamsey operations were encountered in 312 different communities (towns and villages). Operationally, the Alluvial Washing Board, Mill-House and Chamfi were found to be the three most popular and practiced galamsey types. The three main galamsey hotspot districts (out of the 11) are the Tarkwa Nsuaem (294 sightings and 3648 individual galamsey sites), Amenfi East (223 sightings and 1397 individual galamsey sites) and Prestea Huni-Valley Districts (156 sightings and 1130 individual galamsey sites). In terms of their activity statuses, 199 abandoned operations (entailing 1855 individual operations), 664 active (entailing 5055 individuals operations) and 48 semi-active (comprising 560 individuals within clusters) galamsey operations were sighted at the time of the study. While galamsey is generally acknowledged to be widespread in Ghana, the results suggest a scale that probably surpasses any previous estimate or expectation. The findings will adequately inform the prioritization of reclamation efforts