SIG traditionnels et participatifs

Peter Kyem montre que si les SIG traditionnels ou participatifs peuvent jouer un rôle essentiel dans la planification et la gestion des ressources naturelles, les approches participatives offrent d'indéniables avantages

GIT&S and PGIS for developing countries

Peter Kyem explains that although both conventional GIT&S and participatory GIS approaches can contribute to natural resource planning and management in developing countries, PGIS offers specific added value

Between altruism and self-aggrandisement: Transparency, accountability and politics in Ghana's oil and gas sector

Effective governance of oil and gas resources has been identified as the thread that divides altruistic and self-aggrandising behaviour in petroleum producing countries. Indeed, the choice of governance attitude has consequences on how oil and gas resources are translated into sustainable development.This study assesses the governance framework that was in place before the oil and gas find in Ghana and those that have been put in place during the production era. We then explore the performance of Ghana on key global governance indicators before and after the oil find, namely the Mo Ibrahim Governance Index, Corruption Index and the Resource Governance Index. The following reasons motivate the focus on Ghana in this study: firstly, the IMF predicts that Ghana will be one of the fastest-growing economies in the world in 2019 and beyond, mainly due to the coming on stream of new oil and gas fields. Secondly, the country is relatively politically stable compared to other countries in the region. The findings indicate that emphasis is placed on the enactment of laws and policies and to some extent, evidence that these laws are implemented. However,the passage of laws does not guarantee good governance. Often, the missing link is how the laws are implemented. Since some of these laws have discretionary provisions, there are chances that individual and institutional actors can exhibit self-aggrandising behaviour. Global governance indices therefore need to consider how these laws are implemented and their potential impact on the governed

Prevalence and determinants of impetigo in Ghana: a cross-sectional study

Introduction: Skin diseases such as impetigo pose a significant public health challenge in low resource settings. Despite this, there is a dearth of epidemiological data on the prevalence of this condition in Ghana. Methods: We conducted a cross sectional study in three settings in Ghana: community members in East Mamprusi district in the North East region, a secondary school in Sekyere East district, and inmates of the Kumasi central prisons both in the Ashanti region. Following a period of training, we performed a standardised skin examination on each participant to assess for scabies and impetigo. We calculated the prevalence of each skin condition and investigated determinants of impetigo. Results/ findings: Of the 1327 participants [males 64.1% and median age 22 (16–29) years], 746 (56.2%) had scabies and 186 (14%) had impetigo which was usually very mild or mild in severity. Most participants with impetigo also had scabies (161/186, 86.6%). Having an itch [RR 6.05 (95% CI 2.53–14.47)], presence of scabies burrows [RR 1.99 (95% CI 1.54–2.59)], clinical scabies [RR 3.15 (2.11–4.72)] or being in preschool [RR 4.56 (1.78–11.67)] increased the risk for impetigo. A combination of the presence of clinical scabies, age, sex and itch most accurately predicted the odds of having impetigo. Conclusions: There is substantial burden of impetigo and scabies in Ghana. There is a need to institute measures to improve detection and control of these common dermatoses as part of Universal Health Coverage package to reduce the scourge of the diseases in this setting

Anaerobic treatment of dairy wastewater in an anaerobic baffled reactor

Os efluentes com elevadas concentrações de lipídios, apesar de demonstrarem elevado potencial para produção de metano podem causar inibição da atividade do consórcio anaeróbio, impossibilitando a produção de biogás. O presente trabalho teve como objetivo o estudo de um reator anaeróbio compartimentado (ABR) com cinco compartimentos tratando efluente simulado de laticínio. Para tanto, a biomassa, foi adaptada por 51 dias e em seguida submetida a tempos de detenção de hidráulica (TDH) de 72h, 24h e 12h, tendo o monitoramento se estendido por 340 dias. Enquanto operando com TDH de 24, o sistema foi submetido a choques hidráulicos e de carga orgânica através da diminuição do TDH para 12 h. O reator absorveu bem a carga, e em 36 horas recuperou os valores prévios de eficiência. Quando operou permanentemente com 12 horas, todavia, problemas de flotação de biomassa e obstruções foram constantes. As eficiências de remoção de matéria orgânica alcançadas para cada condição aplicada foram de 92 ± 3,0; 91 ± 1,8 e 90 ± 2,4% para os TDH de 72h, 24h e 12h, respectivamente. Esses valores foram estatisticamente semelhantes (Anova e L-Fisher). A percentagem de metano no biogás aumentou com a redução de TDH, tendo sido 41 ± 23, 53 ± 27 e 62 ± 12% quando os TDH foram 72, 24 e 12 horas, respectivamente. A produção média de alcalinidade foi de 320±25 mg.CaCO3.L-1, sendo esta observada desde o início da operação. A relação média entre alcalinidade intermediária e parcial foi de 0.1±0.06 em amostras coletadas na saída do sistema. Embora apresentando problemas de obstrução com o menor TDH, o ABR foi eficiente, robusto e confiável ao tratar efluente de laticínios, tendo produzido um efluente líquido de alta qualidade e biogás rico em metano.Effluents with high concentrations of lipids, although demonstrating high potential for methane production represents potential inhibition of the anaerobic consortium activity, depleting the production of biogas. This project was carried out monitoring an anaerobic hybrid baffled reactor with five compartments (ABR) treating simulated dairy wastewater. The biomass, was adapted for 51 days and then subjected to hydraulic retention times (HDT) of 72h, 24h and 12h, resulting in a monitoring period of 340 days. While operating with 24h of HRT, the system was subjected to three organic and hydraulic shock loads, when its HDT was decreased to 12 h. The reactor absorbed the shock within 36 hours, achieving similar efficiencies to the previous condition. Nevertheless, although presenting high organic matter efficiencies, when permanently operating with HDT of 12 h, clogging problems due to biomass flotation were constant. The organic matter removal efficiencies for each operational condition were 92 ± 3%, 91 ± 1.8%, 90 ± 2,4%. Those values were statistically similar. The methane percentage in the biogas increased with the HDT reduction, being 41 ± 23, 53 ± 27, and 62 ± 12% when the HDT were 72, 24 and 12 hours. Alkalinity production was observed since the beginning of operation. The mean relation between intermediate and partial alkalinity was 0.1±0.006 in samples collected in the system output. Although presenting clogging problems with the smallest HDT, the ABR was efficient, robust and reliable when treating dairy effluents, producing a high quality liquid effluent and a methane rich biogas