Preliminary Studies on the Occurrence of Freshwater Epipelic Algae in the Densu Basin in Southern Ghana

The occurrence and composition of the freshwater algae in the epipelon were determined at three sites, namely Machigeni, Manhean and Weija, located in the coastal savanna thicket and grassland vegetation zone of the River Densu basin in southern Ghana. Samples of sediments from the water-substratum interface were taken at fortnightly intervals over 2 months at Machigeni, Manhean and Weija, in January 2008 and March 2008, and studied. The epipelic flora of River Densu exhibits high diversity, with the richest flora in Machigeni, followed by Manhean and Weija in that order. A total of 38 algal genera were identified over the period, with the Bacillariophyceae dominating with 19 genera followed by the Chlorophyta and the Cyanophyta with 13 and 6 genera, respectively. Fragilaria, Melosira and Rhizosolenia were the most abundant Bacillariophyta genera encountered. The Chlorophyta had Closterium, Pediastrum and Spirogyra, as the dominant genera. Anacystis and Oscillatoria had the highest number of cells among the Cyanophyta genera sampled

Assessing Public Perception of Beach Quality for Ecotourism Development: A Case Study in Kokrobite Beach in the Greater Accra Region, Ghana

Tourism has become a major economic force in the world in recent times and seen as one of the fastest growing sectors of the 21st century. Over the years, tourism sector in Ghana has seen a drastic growth and ranked as the fourth foreign exchange earner for the country with a contribution of 6.2% to GDP in 2008 and 6.9% in 2011. However, tourism in Ghana still remains largely undeveloped and leaves much to be desired; with minimal support for tourism infrastructure. The objective of this paper is to assess the public preferences in selecting a beach and their perceptions of the quality of Kokrobite beach to recommend some management strategies and policies toward tourism development. A reconnaissance survey was conducted, followed by a survey of 150 beach users to collect relevant data. The study revealed that the preference for Kokrobite beach is influenced by specific characteristics such as less noise, security and landscape. Most of the tourists were satisfied with the availability of restaurants and bars, accommodation, noise level and access to the beach. They were, however, not satisfied with the level of sanitation and toilet facilities. It is recommended that the conservation of the natural environment, sanitation and an improvement in toilet facilities should be treated with utmost priority by managers of the beach to promote its patronage. Fencing of the beach was also recommended to prevent intrusion by humans as well as animals. Sea defense is also recommended to be built to check erosion, and lighting systems provided to promote the use of the beach at night. Key words: Environment, Greater Accra, landscape, Kokrobite beach, tourism and sanitation

Hand-dug Well Water Quality: The Case of Two Peri-Urban Communities in Ghana

Many rural and peri-urban areas in developing countries including Ghana face challenges with access to good quality drinking water. These areas often depend on surface water or ground water sources which are often compromised with excess levels of nitrate, chloride and microbial pathogens. This study sought to assess the effect of household latrine system on household water quality of two peri-urban communities in the Upper West Region of Ghana. Geographic Information Systems were used to map the latrine location and elevation of household wells relative to latrines. Latrines and wells were visually inspected. Water samples were also collected from the selected household wells and tested for pH, chlorine, turbidity, colour, conductivity, temperature, total dissolved solids, nitrites and nitrates. Selected community borehole water were used for controls. The study showed average latrine location relative to household well was 13.7 m. The difference in elevation between the wells and latrines is at an average of 0.7m. All the household latrines were improved latrines and household wells with 47% of them having lids to cover them. The water quality observed were all within the WHO drinking water quality for the physicochemical parameters assessed. The study however showed higher levels of nitrate in household wells than bore holes. The need to educate households in locating of Kraals relative to household water systems is needed. Further studies including environmental and geological assessments are required to establish the observations made regarding why areas of high latrine concentrations had lower nitrate levels. Also microbiological studies to establish the safety of water for drinking is required

Prevalence of Snail Vectors of Schistosomiasis in the Kpong Head Pond, Ghana

Schistosomiasis, a parasitic disease caused by the blood fluke Schistosoma sp. became a serious public health problem in Ghana after the Volta River was dammed in Akosombo in 1964. The formation of the Kpong head pond, about 25 km below the Akosombo dam, as a result of a second dam built at Kpong became an active schistosomiasis transmission site. The Volta River Authority (VRA) recently began an initiative of combining manual clearing of aquatic vegetation with chemotherapy as a way of managing the disease. However, no scientific monitoring of the effect of aquatic weed clearing on the vector population is being conducted. The study was initiated in the Kpong head pond to provide baseline data for subsequent monitoring and impact assessment of the initiative. It involved sampling of the banks of the head pond for aquatic snails at six different sampling sites of 1 m2 each, chosen at 100 m interval along the shoreline. Physicochemical factors which affect aquatic snail population were also determined. Aquatic snails sampled were Bulinus truncatus, Bulinus globosus, Biomphalaria pfeifferi, Melanoides spp, Physa waterlotti and Pila sp. where the first three are intermediate host of the schistosoma parasite. The study revealed B. truncates as the most frequent occurring vector (71.0%), followed by Biomphalaria (12.0%) and B. globosus (6.1%) The mean numbers of vector snails sampled per m2 were B. Truncates 61/m2, B. globosus 5/m2, and B. pfeifferi 11/m2. The presence of aquatic weeds and favourable physicochemical conditions of the water were found to provide a conducive environment for the vectors to thrive and hence sustain schistosomiasis transmission in the head pond. It is, therefore, recommended that a 5-year period of studies be undertaken to assess the impact of manual clearing of aquatic weeds on the snail population

Knowledge and Perception of Pupils on Health and Environmental Risk of Open Defaecation: A case Study in the First Cycle Schools in Eastern and Volta Regions of Ghana

Open defaecation remains major public and environmental health concerns and has attracted global attention in recent time. This study explores the knowledge and perception of pupils on health and environmental risk of open defaecation. Self-reported data were collected from 400 school pupils using questionnaires, focus group discussions and in-depth interview. Results of the study shows high knowledge level (89.8%) among the pupils. Pupils’ knowledge of environmental risks was fairly high (52%). Knowledge of health risks was, however, low among greater number (53%) of the pupils. Open defaecation shows statistical significant association with health risk (ᵡ2 =65.062, p=0.002), environmental risk (ᵡ2 = 44.961, p=0.006) and pupils level of perception of environmental risk (ᵡ2 = 36.887, p=0.045). The Ministry of Education must introduce courses into the school curriculum to help pupils acquire adequate knowledge on health and environmental consequences of open defaecation.  Keywords: Knowledge, perception, health & environmental risks, open defaecation, first cycle school pupils, Eastern, Volta, Ghana

Mediating knowledge co-production for inclusive governance and delivery of food, water and energy services in African cities

Rising rates of urbanisation in Africa, without attendant improvements in critical infrastructure, have occasioned gaps in the provision of basic services in cities across the continent. Different systems and scales of service delivery — decentralised and centralised, public and private — coexist and often compete in urban spaces but rarely connect in ways that ensure the needs of the poorest are met. Our paper interrogates the value of transdisciplinary research for bringing actors in these systems together to co-produce knowledge for inclusive and sustainable outcomes. Drawing on empirical data from two complementary projects in four African cities, we demonstrate the possibilities for facilitating this kind of knowledge co-production among system actors in the food, water and energy domains. We show, through a comparative approach, elements of the co-production process that enable more responsive engagement by traditionally detached policy actors. From our findings, we generate a framework that local researchers serving as ‘knowledge intermediaries’ can use to stimulate research-policy-society interactions aimed at fostering sustainable and inclusive service delivery across Africa. By synthesising the findings from local case studies into a widely applicable framework, our analysis informs both the theory and practice of transdisciplinary sustainability research in the African context where the imperative to bridge gaps in methodological innovation and service delivery is high.This work was funded by a collaborative writing grant from the International Science Council (grant number LIRA2030-GR08/20), under its Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 in Africa (‘LIRA 2030’) programme. The original case study projects were funded through separate LIRA 2030 grants, with grant numbers LIRA2030-GR06/17 (Project 1) and LIRA2030-GR09/18 (Project 2) respectively.The International Science Council, under its Leading Integrated Research for Agenda 2030 in Africa (‘LIRA 2030’) programme and the original case study projects were funded through separate LIRA 2030 grants.http://link.springer.com/journal/12132am2022School of Public Management and Administration (SPMA

Reduced Bacterial Counts from a Sewage Treatment Plant but Increased Counts and Antibiotic Resistance in the Recipient Stream in Accra, Ghana-A Cross-Sectional Study.

Wastewater treatment plants receive sewage containing high concentrations of bacteria and antibiotics. We assessed bacterial counts and their antibiotic resistance patterns in water from (a) influents and effluents of the Legon sewage treatment plant (STP) in Accra, Ghana and (b) upstream, outfall, and downstream in the recipient Onyasia stream. We conducted a cross-sectional study of quality-controlled water testing (January-June 2018). In STP effluents, mean bacterial counts (colony-forming units/100 mL) had reduced E. coli (99.9% reduction; 102,266,667 to 710), A. hydrophila (98.8%; 376,333 to 9603), and P. aeruginosa (99.5%; 5,666,667 to 1550). Antibiotic resistance was significantly reduced for tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, cefuroxime, and ceftazidime and increased for gentamicin, amoxicillin/clavulanate, and imipenem. The highest levels were for amoxicillin/clavulanate (50-97%) and aztreonam (33%). Bacterial counts increased by 98.8% downstream compared to the sewage outfall and were predominated by E. coli, implying intense fecal contamination from other sources. There was a progressive increase in antibiotic resistance from upstream, to outfall, to downstream. The highest resistance was for amoxicillin/clavulanate (80-83%), cefuroxime (47-73%), aztreonam (53%), and ciprofloxacin (40%). The STP is efficient in reducing bacterial counts and thus reducing environmental contamination. The recipient stream is contaminated with antibiotic-resistant bacteria listed as critically important for human use, which needs addressing

Intestinal Parasites of the Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus Temminck 1827) from the Kwaebibirem District of the Eastern Region of Ghana

The profiles of intestinal parasites of the grasscutter were investigated in 21 grasscutters collected from Kwaebibirem District in the Eastern Region of Ghana between January and April 2005. The aim of the study was to investigate the parasitic profile of the grasscutter in a forest zone and provide information for grasscutter farming. The intestinal content of the animals were examined with the aid of a hand lens, a microscope and direct smear method. The parasites identified include helminthes such as Ancylostoma sp., Trichuris sp., Ascaris sp., Hymenolepis sp. and Schistosoma haematobium, and protozoans such as Giardia sp. and Entamoeba sp. Almost all (95.2%) of the grasscutters were infected with Ancylostoma sp., the most prevalent parasite species in the study, followed by Giardia sp. (85.7%). More than 80% of the grasscutters were infected with at least four parasite species and 33% were infected with at least five parasite species. The study,  therefore, prescribes routine treatment of grasscutters obtained from the wild before they are domesticated or added to the already domesticated ones. This will help prevent reduced productivity due to parasitic infections

Heavy Metal Contamination of Soils around a Hospital Waste Incinerator Bottom Ash Dumps Site

Waste incineration is the main waste management strategy used in treating hospital waste in many developing countries. However, the release of dioxins, POPs, and heavy metals in fly and bottom ash poses environmental and public health concerns. To determine heavy metal (Hg, Pb, Cd, Cr, and Ag) in levels in incinerator bottom ash and soils 100 m around the incinerator bottom ash dump site, ash samples and surrounding soil samples were collected at 20 m, 40 m, 60 m, 80 m, 100 m, and 1,200 m from incinerator. These were analyzed using the absorption spectrophotometer method. The geoaccumulation (Igeo) and pollution load indices (PLI) were used to assess the level of heavy metal contamination of surrounding soils. The study revealed high concentrations in mg/kg for, Zn (16417.69), Pb (143.80), Cr (99.30), and Cd (7.54) in bottom ash and these were above allowable limits for disposal in landfill. The study also found soils within 60 m radius of the incinerator to be polluted with the metals. It is recommended that health care waste managers be educated on the implication of improper management of incinerator bottom ash and regulators monitor hospital waste incinerator sites