ASSESSMENT OF URBAN LAND GOVERNANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE GOVERNANCE IN ETHIOPIA

ABSTRACT Context and backgroundLand governance promotes efficient and effective land policy administration. In Ethiopia cities, as in many Sub-Saharan African cities, many land governance challenges such as informal construction of houses and land holding, lack of public awareness of land policy, and eviction of landowners from their tenure were characterized. Those problems are high, especially in Addis Ababa and Adama cities since those cities are the largest in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian government is giving attention to minimizing those problems by adopting different proclamations, decrees, regulations, and standards.Goal and Objectives:Therefore, this study assessed the current practice of land governance in the urban development and management bureau in two Ethiopian cities, Addis Ababa and Adama, by using five good governance principles.Methodology:Data was gathered by administering questionnaires. The close-ended questionnaires were distributed to 305 landowners in the study area. Additional data were collected using interviews, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews with urban land management and development office experts. Qualitative data were analysed in the form of interpretation and narrative and quantitative data were analysed using statistical software.Results:The study found out that from the five principles of good governance public participation and equality of women were somehow practiced in land governance sectors during the land-delivering process. Land governance sectors were lack transparency and accountability, inefficient performance, and ineffective service. Landowners were confused to judge their satisfaction in land governance sectors service. The study concluded that different findings were made for each of the good governance principles. The findings of this study are utilized to ensure sustainable good land governance for any land governance sector by taking corrective measurements on weak performed principles of good governance.Keywords: Ethiopia, Land Governance, Urban Land, Principles of Good Governance, Assessmen

Mapping Spatial Variation and Impact of the National MDA Program on Lymphatic Filariasis Elimination in Ghana:An Initial Study

Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a public health menace, especially in developing countries. A periodic review of mass drug administration (MDA) performance is critical to monitoring elimination progress. However, investigating the spatial pattern of LF with respect to MDA intervention is yet to be documented. This is essential to appreciating the transmission dynamics across LF-endemic communities and how it is spatially impacted by MDA programs. The aim of this study was to map and explore the spatial variation and hotspots of LF infection among endemic communities and evaluate the impact of the MDA intervention program on its spatial pattern in Ghana. Relative risks, clustering and clusters, prevalence odds ratios, and their confidence intervals were studied with community-level LF data prior to intervention and post intervention periods. The overall risk of LF infection was 0.12% and 0.02% before and after MDA, respectively, suggesting reduced transmission. Using empirical Bayesian smoothing to map the relative risk, a substantial variation in the spatial distribution of the relative risk of LF among endemic communities was observed. Most of the excess prevalence communities were unexpectedly visible even after years of MDA. The Empirical Bayesian Moran’s Index for global clustering showed a reduction in clustering of LF prevalence after MDA with IM = 0.455 and 0.119 for before and after MDA, respectively. Furthermore, examining risks associated with ecological zones, it was observed that the Guinea Savannah and the Transition Zone were the most vulnerable zones for LF infection with prevalence odds ratios 18.70- and 13.20-fold higher than in the reference Moist evergreen zone, respectively. We observed a drastic reduction in risk in the Wet evergreen zone after MDA, while the Guinea Savannah sustained high levels of risk even after MDA. These findings should prompt public health officials to adopt stratified cluster sampling in LF-endemic regions to monitor the rate and density of microfilaria.</p

Climate change impact on streamflow in a tropical basin of Ghana, West Africa

Study region Pra River Basin, Ghana, West Africa. Study focus In this study, variations of the future streamflow in the Pra River Basin (PRB), are projected using the Soil and Water Analysis Tool (SWAT) model with bias-corrected climate data from regional climate models (RCMs) for the near 21 st century (2010–2039), the mid 21 st century (2040–2069), and the end of the 21 st century (2070–2099), under two Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). Weighting, scaling and ranking techniques were applied to the data from each of the seventeen climate stations to select the climate models that best reproduced the observation dataset. New hydrological insights for the region The results from the calibration and validation (R2 and NSE > 0.75, and PBIAS within ±10 %), revealed good simulation of the PRB hydrology from the SWAT model. Annually, streamflow in the near and the mid-21st century is projected to increase within 4 % and 12 % while a reduction was projected at the end of the 21 st century with the RCP4.5 emission scenario. The simulation results from the RCP8.5 scenario showed increase streamflow throughout the 21 st century applying the best performing models. Monthly streamflow variations varied between -15 % and 23 % for RCP4.5, and -24 % to 24 % for RCP8.5. Generally, increasing streamflow was highest in the RCP4.5 emission scenario. In view of the model outcomes, the PRB is expected to experience upsurge in streamflow by the near and the mid of the 21 st century. This would require proper planning by applying cost-effective adaptative water management strategies to provide for the probable influence of climate change on the future water resources of the basin

Deforestation in forest-savannah transition zone of Ghana: Boabeng-Fiema monkey sanctuary

Forests provide many resources, ecosystem services and absorb carbon dioxide, which helps in climate regulation. In spite of the enormous benefits of forests, the issue of deforestation is still ongoing. There has been a continuous decline in forests globally and the forest area of Boabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary (BFMS) in Ghana is facing a similar threat. The aim of the study is to determine the different forest cover types and changes in the forest of BFMS. Satellite images for the years 1992, 1998, 2004, 2010, 2016 and 2018 were downloaded. Unsupervised and supervised classification were performed to determine the different forest cover types and remote sensing software was used to detect the changes in the forest cover. The forest cover was classified into six classes; closed forest, open forest, savannah woodland, savannah, farmlands and built-up area. Available data suggests that between 1992 and 2018, closed forest decreased by 242.19ha, open forest increased by 122.85 ha, savannah woodland increased by 7.47ha, savannah increased by 6.48 ha, farmland increased by 39.39ha and built-up area increased by 65.7ha. The changes in closed forest, open forest, farmland and built-up were all significant. Decreasing forest cover of BFMS is a threat to sustainable ecotourism since the forest serves as a habitat and food source to the monkeys. This research serves as guide to other researches aiming at determining forest cover changes in forest-savannah transition zones. In addition, the results have produced an inventory of the forest, which will help forest resource managers sustainably manage the forest

The importance of Digital Libraries in joint educational programmes:A case study of a master of science programme involving organizations in Ghana and The Netherlands

This article describes the role of a digital library in a joint educational Master of Science (MSc.) programme involving organizations in Ghana and the Netherlands. A brief introduction of the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation (ITC) and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is followed by an outline of the joint educational MSc. programme developed by these two institutions. The digital library support provided in this joint programme will be described, and observations resulting from experiences delivering the programme are summarized. The article also provides general comments on the importance of libraries in building digital partnerships between organizations in developed and less technologically advanced countries

Bacteriological contamination of groundwater in relation to septic tanks location in Ashanti Region, Ghana

Water is an indispensable resource to mankind and life in general. Over the world, issues of water scarcity and quality are becoming pronounced with increasing global population, industrialization and urbanization. Developmental activities of man can lead to the deterioration of surface and groundwater. As a result, groundwater has become an important source of water supply throughout the world. This research is very necessary in these communities because of associated cost with purchasing of land due to nearness to the KNUST. The communities serve as residence for students, lecturers and the business community as well. As a consequence, the small pieces of land acquired for building virtually does not give room for considering the siting of septic tanks and underground water, which is the most common source of water in these communities. In this study, water samples were taken from eight purposively sampled wells/boreholes at Ayeduase, Kotei and Boadi communities where septic tanks are within 0–39 m to the well/borehole. However, a control well without septic tank within the radius of above 39 m was chosen. Samples taken from wells were analysed in the laboratory for Escherichia coli, salmonella, faecal coliforms, non-faecal coliforms and total coliforms. E. coli was found present in 25% wells and 25% boreholes sampled. Salmonella and faecal coliforms were found in 75% the boreholes/well except the control well and BH2. Non-faecal coliforms count was 100% in all boreholes/wells. The study reveals that, water in the study communities contain some levels of contaminants and raises questions about its suitability for drinking and domestic use

Monitoring land use and land cover changes due to extensive gold mining, urban expansion, and agriculture in the Pra River Basin of Ghana, 1986?2025

This study used the double cumulative curve and visual image interpretation methods for the selection of spatiotemporal Landsat data to evaluate the land degradation by anthropogenic activities in the Pra River Basin (PRB) of Ghana. Unsupervised and supervised classification procedures were used to map the land use and land cover (LULC) distribution from 1986 to 2016. Assessment of LULC showed that the PRB has been subjected to six different rates of land degradation in the years 1986, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2013, and 2016. This is due to increase in settlement, cropland, and mining activities to about 130%, 198%, and 304%, respectively. The Markov chain and cellular automation integrated model was successful in predicting LULC distribution in 2016 and the outcomes were comparable to the actual LULC for 2016. The projected LULC for 2025 showed that land degradation is significant in the western and the eastern parts where cropland and forest are, respectively, converted to mining activity. The northern, southern, and middle parts of PRB are expected to experience high settlement expansion, sedimentation in the rivers, and cropland expansion, respectively. The results will aid natural resources management, planning, and sustainable development at PRB. In addition, the research method serves as guideline for other related studies in an attempt to investigate, quantify, and project LULC change in forest ecological areas

Land use and land cover changes implications on biodiversity in the Owabi catchment of Atwima Nwabiagya North District, Ghana

This paper examined land use and land cover (LULC) change and implications to biodiversity in the Owabi catchment of Atwima Nwabiagya North District in Ghana from 1991 to 2021 using remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS), with participatory methods such as interviews and questionnaires with a sample size of 200 participants. The use of supervised classification with maximum likelihood algorithm in QGIS was employed to generate LULC maps of 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021. Molusce Plugin in QGIS was applied to predict probabilities of LULC changes in 10 years (2021–2031). The results showed that high-density forest has disappeared from 1991 to 2021 while built-up has increased and remained the most dominant LULC from 2011 to 2021. There is a continual decline in the number of plant and animal species in and around the Owabi catchment. This can be attributed to the decline of high-density forests and increased built-up in the study area through human actions. The study identified the influence of human activities as the key forces of LULC change to biodiversity loss. This problem stemmed from the taste for housing and trading activities in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area which has resulted in an increasing demand for settlement because of its closeness to Kumasi and its environs. The study recommends that stringent preventive measures should be developed and enforced by various stakeholders including the Forestry Commission, Ghana Water Company Limited, Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the District/Municipal Assemblies to safeguard the forest from human activities. This recommendation will help these agencies to keep abreast with changes in LULC in the various communities and factors such as changes during the planning of the communities

Water balance responses to land-use/land-cover changes in the Pra River Basin of Ghana, 1986?2025

The unfavorable effect of human disturbances in major river basins resulting in extensive variations in the ecosystem has necessitated this research within the Pra River Basin of Ghana. Knowledge about how individual land use influences water balance components will massively improve natural resources planning, management and sustainable development. Land use/cover change in the basin was evaluated by the assessment of six historical and one future land use/cover maps relating to the land use/cover stages in 1986, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2013, 2016 and 2025. The land use/cover maps were deployed to generate seven land use/cover scenarios relating to diverse states of land use/cover change in the basin which were then deployed to simulate the hydrological components. The Soil and Water Assessment Tool was deployed for hydrological simulation. The results revealed that there was a continuous increase in cropland, settlement and mining at the detriment of forest areas from 1986 to 2016, which is expected to continue into 2025. The variations in land use/land cover brought about increment of surface runoff (124.51%) and water yield (40.13%), and reduced baseflow (30.08%) and ET (13.248%). Conversely, the results showed a reduction in surface runoff and water yield during dry season and increased baseflow and evapotranspiration during wet season. These trends are expected to further increase in 2025. Moreover, settlement and mining are the major contributors to changes in water balance components. These results show how important control of land use/cover is in order to maintain water balance components to guarantee water accessibility for all generations