Browsing by Author "Boon, E.,"
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Item Assessing Climate Change Impacts on Ecosystem Services and Livelihoods in Ghana: Case Study of Communities around Sui Forest Reserve(2012) Boon, E.,; Ahenkan, A.The link between climate change, ecosystem services and livelihood in developing countries has been well established. Tropical forest ecosystems are particularly of great importance to the livelihood of millions of people. Recent decades of escalating climate change impacts on ecological systems and livelihoods worldwide and the vulnerability of forest dependent communities raise concerns about the consequences of ecosystem changes for human well-being. Applying the human ecological approach, this paper examines climate change impacts on ecosystem services and livelihoods of the communities around the Sui River Forest Reserve (SRFR) in the Sefwi Wiawso District in the Western Region of Ghana, the main drivers of the change, the vulnerabilities and adaptation strategies being used by the communities. The results of the study indicate that climate change impacts are decreasing the capability of the SRFR ecosystem to provide essential services to the communities. The principal livelihood sources affected by the climate change impacts are agriculture, forest resources and water resources. To minimize the impacts of climate change, the communities around the reserve have adopted various adaptation and coping strategies to improve agriculture, biodiversity conservation, and water resources management. The paper also suggests strategies that will enable policy-makers to effectively improve ecosystem services and climate change mitigation and adaptation in Ghana.Item The socio-economic contribution of african migrants to their home and host countries: The case of ghanaian residents in flanders, belgium.(2012) Boon, E.,; Ahenkan, A.The issue of South–North migration, especially Africa–European Union (EU) migration, has moved to the center stage of international development debate. Unfortunately, however, interests and arguments by policy-makers, development agencies, and citizens of the EU mainly focus on the consequences of migration on the “receiving” societies. The real causes of migration from Africa and migrants’ contribution to the social and economic development of both the “sending” and “receiving” countries have not been objectively discussed. Provision of labor to EU member countries, remittances, and financial transfers to and investments made by African migrants in their respective home countries are essential elements in the African–EU migration and development cooperation debate. It is estimated that South–North migrants’ remittances to developing countries increased from US$2 billion in 1970 to US$71 billion in 2001. Moreover, financial flows emanating from African migrants in the developed countries significantly contribute to the development of the continent. In order to concretize and objectify the discussion, a socio-economic survey was conducted on a representative sample of Ghanaian migrants and their families in the Flemish Community in Belgium. Extensive literature review on migration, administration of questionnaires to Ghanaians resident in Flanders, Belgium, and consultations with African and international experts on migration and international development cooperation were the methods used for this investigation. The paper identifies and analyzes the factors that “push” and “pull” Ghanaians to migrate to Belgium, the EU, and the developed countries in general. The socio-economic situation of Ghanaian migrants in Flanders and their contribution to the sustainable development of Belgium, the EU, and Ghana are rigorously analyzed. Furthermore, the challenges posed by South–North migration are identified and appropriate and effective win-win mitigation strategies proposed for redressing the problematic in a sustainable way.Item Stakeholder participation in community development projects: An analysis of the quadripartite model of the international centre for enterprise and sustainable development (ICED) in ghana.(2013) Boon, E.,; Bawole, J. N.,; Ahenkan, A.The increasing importance of stakeholders in project design, implementation, and evaluation requires mechanisms to ensure their effective participation to enhance project success. As a national non-governmental organisation (NGO) engaged in the design and implementation of community development projects, International Centre for Enterprise and Sustainable Development (ICED) adopts a quadripartite project participation model (QPPM) that facilitates the participation of project stakeholders. This article analyzes the model and its implication for managing community development projects in Ghana. The article adopts an action research strategy relying on the experiential knowledge of the authors in the application of the model. The results of the analysis indicate that although stakeholder participation in community development projects can be very challenging, the application of the model reduces the tensions that often characterize stakeholder participation. The model helps to spread project responsibilities, obligations, and rights equitably amongst project stakeholders.