Seasonal changes in stream habitat structure and its relationship with fish community structure in a low gradient stream in Sunyani, Ghana

Studies on seasonal changes in stream structure and its effect on habitat quality, distribution, abundance and biomass of stream fishes in Ghana is limited. Understanding seasonal changes in stream habitat structure and adaptive responses of fish populations is essential for stream protection and conservation of stream ecosystems and their resident fish populations. Seasonal changes in stream structure, physicochemical characteristics and fish community structure were investigated in an urban stream in Sunyani, Ghana. Data was collected monthly from November 2016 to November 2017 at upstream, midstream and downstream sites. High spatial heterogeneity and temporal variability in stream structure affected by the dry and wet seasonal cycles was observed. Twelve species of fish belonging to eight families and ten genera were recorded, with catfishes dominating community biomass. The diet pattern of fish species differentiated the community into herbivore, piscivore and omnivore trophic levels. Herbivores were most abundant and consumed a wide range of plantbased food. Fish habitats disappeared and mortality increased upstream and midstream during the dry season. However, the downstream habitat persisted as a result of the unique morphology which resulted in a relatively deep depth, large canopy cover and presence of water lettuce Pistia stratiotes which minimized water loss. Water quality did not differ significantly across the stream in all seasons. Higher water clarity downstream cooccurred with Pistia proliferation along with elevated fish biomass during the dry season. Stream structure, rather than physicochemical characteristics, controlled fish biomass. Water quality and fish biomass were strongly correlated with seasonal Pistia abundance. Persistence of the downstream pool habitat during the dry season sustained habitat quality and increased fish survival. Maintenance of stream pools along with opportunistic aquatic vegetation in the dry season can sustain stream ecosystems and stabilize their fish communities and biotic structure

Energy Consumption and Economic Growth: Evidence from the West African Sub Region

The availability of reliable energy supply to meet the demand of the growing population in West Africa is important for achieving not only economic growth but also meeting the sustainable development aspirations of the subregion. However, conflicting conclusions have been espoused on the energy-growth nexus with little information on the nexus in the sub-region. In this study we employ the panel cointegration techniques and data on total energy consumption, electricity consumption and petroleum consumption to establish the causal relationship between energy consumption and economic growth for the seventeen countries in the West African sub region. The results indicate that in the short run, there is no causal relationship running from total energy, electricity and petroleum consumption to growth. However, there is a unidirectional relationship running from growth to electricity consumption indicating that conservation policies in electricity may not have effect on economic growth. In the long run however, electricity and petroleum consumption were found to have a positive and significant impact on growth suggesting that policy choices should focus on enhancing the generation of these types of energy

On Parallel Paths: Learning through Case Studies in the Writing Pedagogy Course

This article reports on a case study project assigned in a writing pedagogy course. The authors, four graduate teaching assistants and their professor, share their case study questions, experiences, and challenges. Via the case study assignment, the TAs identified parallel experiences they shared with their students. Recognizing parallel paths helps first-year TAs reflect on their experiences as teachers and learners, build connections with students, and develop sustainable teaching practices beyond the first year. The authors share strategies for identifying parallel paths and encourage TA educators to incorporate them into the writing pedagogy course

Are senior high school students in Ghana meeting WHO's recommended level of physical activity? Evidence from the 2012 Global School-based Student Health Survey Data.

INTRODUCTION:Physical activity (PA) has both short- and long-term importance. In this study we sought to assess the prevalence and correlates of PA among 1,542 Senior High School (SHS) students. METHODS:A cross-sectional study was conducted in Ghana among SHS students using the 2012 version of the Ghana Global School-based Student Health Survey (GSHS) data, which utilised two-stage cluster sampling technique. The population for the study comprised SHS students. The outcome variable was physical activity. The data were analysed using STATA version 14.2 for Mac OS. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were employed. At the bivariate level, Pearson chi-square test between each independent variable and PA was conducted and the level of statistical significance was set at 5%. All the significant variables from the chi-square test were selected for the multivariate analysis. In the multivariate analysis, Poisson regression with robust variance was performed to estimate crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (APR). RESULTS:It was found that 25.0% (29.0% males and 21.9% females) of SHS students were physically active. Female students (APR = 0.78, 95% CI = 0.65, 0.94), students in SHS 2 (APR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.577, 0.941) and SHS3 (APR = 0.79, 95% CI = 0.63, 0.93), and those who went hungry (APR = 0.77, 95% CI = 0.65, 0.92) were less likely to be physically active compared to males, those in SHS1 and those who did not go hungry respectively. On the other hand, students who actively commuted to school (APR = 2.40, 95% CI = 1.72, 2.42) and got support from their peers were more likely to be physically active (APR = 1.62, 95% CI = 1.09-2.41). CONCLUSION:Only a quarter of SHS students who participated in the 2012 version of the GSHS met the WHO's recommended level of physical activity. Sex, grade/form and experience of hunger are associated with physical activity. Physical activity is a major component of any health promotion program. Policies and programmes targeting improvement in physical activity among SHS students should take these associated factors into consideration

Female genital mutilation/cutting in Sierra Leone: are educated women intending to circumcise their daughters?

BACKGROUND:Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) has been recognized as a gross violation of human rights of girls and women. This is well established in numerous international legal instruments. It forms part of the initiation ceremony that confers womanhood in Sierra Leone. Girls and women who are subjected to this practice are considered to be ready for marriage by their parents and communities and are rewarded with celebrations, gifts, and public recognition. Following this, we examined the relationship between education and women's FGM/C intention for their daughters in Sierra Leone. METHODS:We used cross-sectional data from the women's file of the 2013 Sierra Leone Demographic and Health Survey (SLDHS) to explore the influence of education on FGM/C intention among women in the reproductive age (15-49). A sample of 6543 women were included in the study. Our analysis involved descriptive computation of education and FGM/C intention. This was followed by a two-level multilevel analysis. Fixed effect results were reported as Odds Ratios and Adjusted Odds Ratios with their respective credible intervals (CrIs) whilst results of the random effects were presented as variance partition coefficients and median odds ratios. RESULTS:Our findings showed that women who had no formal education were more likely to intend to circumcise their daughters [aOR = 4.3, CrI = 2.4-8.0]. Among the covariates, women aged 20-24 [aOR = 2.3, CrI = 1.5-3.4] were more likely to intend to circumcise their daughters compared to women between 45 and 49 years old. Poorest women were more likely to report intention of circumcising their daughters in the future compared with the richest [aOR = 2.1, CrI = 1.3-3.2]. We noted that, 63.3% of FGM/C intention in Sierra Leone is attributable to contextual factors. CONCLUSION:FGM/C intention is more common among women with no education, younger women as well as women in the lowest wealth category. We recommend segmented female-child educational and pro-poor policies that target uneducated women in Sierra Leone. The study further suggests that interventions to end FGM/C need to focus on broader contextual and social norms in Sierra Leone

Village Baseline Study: Site Analysis Report for Lawra – Jirapa, Ghana (GH0108)

The village baseline study of Doggoh village in the CCAFS benchmark site Jirapa-Lawra in Ghana took place from 26th to 28st July 2011. Focus group discussions were conducted separately for men and women. Doggoh village is located in a Sudan Savannah characterized by a considerable tree population, and the farming system it practices involves cultivation among trees. Land is cultivated by individuals but owned and administered communally through a traditional system of local chiefs. The average land productivity is low and the community can only produce enough to feed themselves for 3 months a year, resulting in the need to seek food from other sources for 9 months of the year. To survive, people depend on remittances. Trees are communally managed with community sanctions against those who break the accepted practice. Nonetheless, the sale of wood fuel is putting pressure on the tree population. There is evidence of degradation on the landscape where vegetation has been removed and there is bare soil. The community relies on boreholes for their domestic water supply and take for granted the value of wetlands and the rivers, which remained effectively unmanaged. The participants identified 22 organisations in the village, including 12 operating beyond the locality, 3 functioning within the locality and 7 operational within the community. Seventeen organisations contribute to food security, and other 14 encourage natural resource management. Organisations and radio are the most important sources of information

Effect of input credit on smallholder farmers’ output and income: Evidence from Northern Ghana

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of input credit on smallholder farmers’ output and income using Masara N’Arziki support project in Northern Ghana. Design/methodology/approach A cross-sectional primary data set was used to estimate the effect of project participation on farm output, yield and income using propensity score matching (PSM) methods. Findings The findings are that project participation is skewed towards experienced farmers with big-sized households and farms. The effect of project on outcomes is somewhat unsatisfactory in the sense that participation only raises output and yield, but not income. Research limitations/implications The paper only examined the project effect on farm outcomes among smallholder farmers participating in the programme in just one operational area in the Northern region. Future research should consider all the operational areas for an informed generalisation of findings. Practical implications Greater benefits to farmers from programme participation would require project management to review the contractual arrangement so that the high cost of input credit is significantly reduced. Originality/value The paper applied the PSM to estimate the effect of project participation on farm output, yield and income among smallholder farmers which is non-existent in the literature on the study area, at least as far as we know. This paper can inform future policy on the direction and nature of support for smallholder farmers in Northern Ghana

Knowledge of pregnant women on the factors that influence anaemia in pregnancy in a rural farming district of the Western Region of Ghana

Background: The presence of anaemia in pregnancy is one of the serious public health concerns across the globe especially in developing countries like Ghana. This study assessed pregnant women's knowledge on factors influencing aneamia in pregnancy in a low-income district of Ghana.Methods: A quantitative descriptive cross-sectional study. Data was collected using a pretested questionnaire. 112 pregnant women seeking antenatal care were recruited using systematic sampling technique in the Wassa East district of Ghana. Data were cleaned and entered into SPSS version 22 and analysed into descriptive statistics.Results: Majority of participants; 72.3% did not know the causes of anaemia in pregnancy. Pregnant women (27.7%) indicated nutritional deficiency as a common cause of anaemia; 18.7% of them could identify appropriately at least one sign of anaemia in pregnancy with 28% asserting that pregnancy-related anaemia can affect labour, despite 72% indicating that anaemia could cause maternal mortality. The reasons for irregular ANC attendance included; perceived non importance of ANC (18.8%), financial difficulties (17.9%), health facility inaccessibility (18.8%) and time constraints (44.5%). There was a strong association between knowledge level on the cause of anaemia in pregnancy and the educational level of pregnant women (p=0.005 chi square = 50.289).Conclusions: Lack of knowledge on the importance of antenatal care and financial constraints were among the reasons leading to a surge in anaemia amongst pregnant women in the district. Health providers should incorporate services which enable pregnant women to access valuable information on anaemia prevention in pregnancy

Advances in Sustainable Strategies for Water Pollution Control: A Systematic Review

Various technologies, strategies, and policies have been implemented to improve water quality worldwide. This systematic review comprehensively appraises technologies, strategies, and water pollution control policies enacted worldwide between 2000 and 2021. Five databases, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Library of Congress, were used for the search. After screening, 89 eligible articles were selected from 2119 documents for further analysis. Selected articles were included: (1) 31 articles covered policies and strategies enacted for controlling water pollution, (2) 47 articles focused on sustainable technologies to control water pollution in different countries, and (3) 11 articles were Nature-based solutions related. Sustainable technologies identified were: aquatic vegetation restoration technology, eco-remediation bio-manipulation technology, wetlands rehabilitation technology, floating aquatic-plant bed systems, and adsorption technology. Most of these methods are geared toward reducing pollutant levels in industrial and agricultural wastewater. Also, most policies are geared toward the manufacturing and farming industries, respectively. Nature-based solutions identified were horizontal-flow treatment wetlands (HFTWs) and constructed wetlands. Furthermore, the current one is atomic layer deposition (ALD)