Browsing by Author "Gyekye, K.A."

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Developing a Community-Based Resilience Assessment Model with reference to Northern Ghana
(Journal of Integrated Disaster Risk Management, 2014) Antwi, E.K.; Otsuki, K.; Saito, O.; Obeng, F.K.; Gyekye, K.A.; Boakye-Danquah, J; Boafo, Y.A.; Kusakari, Y.; Yiran, G.A.B.; Owusu, A.B.; Asubonteng, K.O.; Dzivenu, T.; Avornyo, V.K.; Abagale, F.K.; Jasaw, G.S.; Lolig, V.; Ganiyu, S.; Donkoh, S.A.; Yeboah, R.; Kranjac-Berisavljevic, G.; Gyasi, E.A.; Minia, Z.; Ayuk, E.T.; Matsuda, H.; Ishikawa, H.; Ito, O.; Takeuchi, K.
Faced with adversarial climatic and physical conditions and an inept socioeconomic development priorities, Northern Ghana remains one of the regions that are most vulnerable to climate-related shocks and disturbances in semi-arid Africa. Because of the effect of frequent floods, droughts, and bushfires, entire livelihoods in Ghana’s predominantly smallholder agricultural population are under threat. In this paper, we present a model for community-based resilience assessment. This model was developed through an experiment conducted in selected rural communities in the Tolon and Wa West Districts in the Northern and Upper West Regions of Ghana. This experiment underpinned an ongoing five-year collaborative research project, Climate and Ecosystem Change Adaptation and Resilience Research in Semi-Arid Africa: An Integrated Approach (CECAR-Africa), and involved researchers and scientists from institutions in Ghana and Japan. Drawing on the findings from extensive literature review, field surveys, focus group discussions, unstructured interviews with various stakeholders, and participatory observations, we developed a matrix for assessing the different categories of community resilience (ecological, engineering, and socioeconomic). The outcome of this resilience matrix, herein called an “integrated” assessment model, offers a mix of factors that could improve societal reorganization when faced with shocks or disturbances. The integrated model provides a workable assessment criteria and key indicators for community level resilience assessments. This experiment proved valuable and highly effective in selecting case study communities for CECAR-Africa. The next step will involve the testing and development of similar criteria and indicators to measure household level resilience.
Gold Mining Effects on Water Quality in Domenase and Nkotumso along River Offin, Upper Denkyira West District
(West African Journal of Applied Ecology, 2023) Gyekye, K.A.; Owusu, P.; Ofori, A.
Artisanal gold mining (ASM) has been an important source of primary livelihood activity for poor populations in Ghana. The sector now functions as a vital social safety-net and, in some cases, provides the only source of of income in employment-constrained economies and helping copious poor households survive during increasingly uncertain times. However, artisanal mining is linked to the release of heavy metals into the mainstream environment, causing water pollution. In this study, heavy metals namely mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), manganese (Mn), lead (Pb) and iron (Fe) were quantitatively analysed using PinAcle 900T Perkin Elmer Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer. The samples were taken from the core water source area of Domenase and Nkontomisa on the Offin River in the Upper Denkyira West District of the Central region of Ghana. The decreasing trend of metals was observed in water as Hg > Pb > As > Mn >Fe, while the average distribution of these heavy metals in water was 0.11, 0.02, 0.02, 0.122, and 0.184 mg/L, respectively. Nkotumso. In Domenase, the decreasing trend of metals was observed in water as Pb > Hg > As > Fe >Mn. and their averages were 0.028, 0.09, 0.018, 0,188, and 0.090 mg/L, respectively. The concentration of Hg, As, and Pb in the water samples were above the WHO (2011) permissible limits, except Mn and Fe, which were below the guideline limit. The pH range of 6.24-6.53 was noted for Nkotumso and 5.24-5.83 (strongly to moderately acidic) for Domenase. The pH of water samples collected from Nkotumso was within WHO (2011) guideline values, whereas the values of Domenase were not. The results indicate that the water is not suitable for drinking or other domestic purposes, such as cooking, since Heavy metals such as Hg, As, and Pb, which are known to be carcinogenic, were high. The study recommends that continuous monitoring of Hg, As and Pb in the water and other aquatic biota of Nkotumso and Domenase along the River Offin should be assessed to ensure the safety of the ecology in the vicinity of the river.
A Study of "Kwahu Easter" Festival as a Tourism Hallmark Event
(University of Ghana, 2013-06) Kate, G; Asiedu, A.B.; Gyekye, K.A.
In Ghana, the tourism sector is plagued with monotonous products, and these require urgent diversification. The questions have always been: diversify to where and with what new products? This study proposed an answer: diversify to hallmark events and to cultural tourism products. There is the need to package some of our popular, established, indigenous, traditional festivals as tourism hallmark events, to diversify Ghana‟s tourist product offering, and by large improve her domestic and international tourist earnings. Traditional festivals abound in all the ten regions of the country. If these festivals are structured and packaged well, it can be used to promote tourism. One such festival is the “Easter Festival” by the Kwahus. This festival has now taken a national and international dimension due to the touristic activities such as paragliding which was recently introduced into the festival. Before festivals and special events can be used to diversify tourism industry in the country, there is the need to determine the perceptions and the attitude of the residents in the host region. In this study it was observed that socio- economic variables (age, gender, and education), personal benefits derivation and level of involvement in the festival shaped residents‟ perception in negative and positive manner. One implication of these findings is that the factors that shaped negative perceptions and attitudes could be addressed through education. It was also discovered that, there are many socio-economic benefits associated with the festival such as employment, income generation and so on. Moreover, evidence gathered reveals that, the area has many potential tourist products associated with KEF which could be developed to promote tourism in the country. Again, it was revealed that motives of festival tourists vary in relation to country of origin. Most of the foreign tourists attended the festival as experts in paragliding who wanted to witness and participate in paragliding. It was also discovered that paragliding was the main touristic activity that drew much people both locally and internationally to the festival. The relevance of the findings is that there is abundant wealth of tourist products in Ghana which have not been fully developed or branded to promote social and economic growth; this can be achieved through integrating tourist issues into policy formulation and promotions of private participation in tourism development.