Application of Local Knowledge in Land Degradation Assessment in the Bawku East Municipality

A number of scientific methodologies have been used in assessing land degradation globally. However, the use of local knowledge in eliciting indicators of land degradation has seen little application by scientists and policy makers. Researchers believe the two approaches could complement each other to provide a holistic assessment of land degradation. Theobjective of the study was to find out local approaches used in assessing land degradation by farmers of the Bawku Municipality. Secondly, we investigated farmers' perception of the causes of the problem and their coping strategies. The study was conducted using questionnaires, interviews and focus group discussions. Farmers perceived degradation in the soil and vegetation which is explained by population growth, bush burning, overgrazing, fuel wood harvesting, expansion of farmlands and drought. Degradation in soil and vegetation took the form of soil erosion, soil compaction, loss in soil fertility and deforestation. The lack of proper coordination among stakeholders (farmers, Non-governmental Organizations and local authorities) in the locality has resulted in poor planning and implementation of land degradation intervention measures. Also, some intervention measures are instituted without public consultation, hence the unwillingness of the people to implement them. The primary effects of land degradation include scarcity of wood products for building and domestic energy supply, less pasture for animals and low crop yield which·worsens poverty and hunger amongst the people. The strategies for coping with this environmental challenge include inorganic fertilizer application, organic manure application., diversification of crops, planting of early maturing/drought tolerant crops, dry season gardening/irrigation and mixed cropping. Keywords: Bawku; Land Degradation; Local ·Knowledge on Land Degradation; Farmers' Perception regarding Land Degradation

Stakeholder collaboration in climate-smart agricultural production innovations: insights from the Cocoa industry in Ghana

Although collaboration is vital in addressing global environmental sustainability challenges, research understanding on stakeholder engagement in climate-smart production innovation adoption and implementation, remains limited. In this paper, we advance knowledge about stakeholder collaboration by examining the roles played by stakeholders in scaling up ecological sustainability innovations. Using the illustrative context and case of green cocoa industry in Ghana, the analysis identified three distinctive phases of stakeholder engagement in ecological sustainability innovations implemented from 1960-2017. We highlight defining periods of ecological challenges encompassing the production recovery sustainability initiative phase solely driven by the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD)–a governmental body responsible for production, processing and marketing of cocoa, coffee and sheanut. During the period, major initiatives were driven by non-governmental organisations in collaboration with COCOBOD to implement the Climate-Smart agriculture scheme in the cocoa sector. The findings have implications for cocoa production research and stakeholder collaboration in environmental innovations adoption

Analysis of Sedimentation Rates in the Densu River Channel: The Result of erosion and anthropogenic activities in the Densu basin

Sediment is important in determining the morphology of river systems. The Densu basin has come under intense anthropogenic activities such as farming, sand winning, bushfires, among others, which are impacting on the fluvial processes, forms and channel morphology of the river. The study investigated sedimentation of the river channel in the light of these human activities along its banks. Fluvial processes include erosion and deposition particularly at the lower and middle courses, which is fashioning the morphology of the river channel. Data on river sedimentation was determined through sediment load analysis. The results of bed load show well-graded particles, particularly results of low flows throughout the river’s course. Generally, the percentage of coarser materials (gravels, sediments > 5 mm) was low, while the percentage of sand in the bed material was high in all the stations at high flows, over 80% in Ashalaja, 70% in Mangoase and moderate at Akwadum (about 50%). Clay particles were low or absent in the sampled stations during high flows. Fluvial sediment transport for suspended load during high flows was high and low for the low stages. The highest suspended sediment discharge was 475.641 tonnes/day at Akwadum at 2.18 m and the lowest was 0.492 tonnes/day at 0.53 m also at Akwadum. Sediment discharge increased downstream from Akwadum to Ashalaja at both low and high flows, which was attributed to a number of variables such as a reduction in vegetative cover and increase in discharge downstream. The middle course experienced active channel erosion whilst deposition (channel braiding) was prevalent at the lower course