Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies
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Item Market Systems of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPS) and their Roles in Climate Change Adaptation - A Case Study of the Lawra District, Ghana(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Churchill, K.Local and indigenous communities depend on Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in a variety of ways. However, the absence of ready markets for these products limits their livelihood support potential and capacity to support environmental and climate change adaptation efforts. This study examined how the five livelihood capitals i.e. Financial, Social, Physical, Natural and Human (including market access, value chain and product quality standards) affect marketing systems for NTFPs and influence climate change adaptation in the Lawra District, Upper West Region of Ghana. Employing a mixed methods approach, this study focused on the following objectives: (i) Identify barriers and or enablers that affect market systems of NTFPs in the Lawra District using correlation and chi square test; (ii) Assess the influence of market access for NTFPs on climate change adaptation; (iii) Conduct a profitability analysis across the value chain for one economically important NTFPs; and (iv) Evaluate quality standards of selected economically important NTFPs for international export. Using correlation and chi-square tests, the relationship between the five livelihood capitals and volumes of NTFP harvested in 2017 were carried out. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to assess market access (Availability of Transportation) and volume of NTFPs, profitability analysis to assess profitability across a selected NTFP (Shea butter), pesticide and quality analysis for a selected NTFP were also carried out. Results indicated that various livelihood capitals and volumes of NTFP collected show a positive and negative correlation for natural and financial capital, respectively, but with no significance for the remaining livelihood capitals. There was, however, a positive linkage for market access and the volumes of NTFP collected. The profitability analysis of the shea product across its value chain indicated a significant decrease in profits up the value chain from harvesting to processing. Shea butter samples from a household in the Lawra District fell below quality standards for export as chlorpyrifos pesticide residue were above acceptable levels while a sample produced from a women’s groups passed all quality standards. Despite overall benefits of actions that improve living standards, the quality control measures employed in processing Shea butter in households and profits across the shea value chain do not enhance market systems, hence do not also complement climate change adaptation efforts. The study, however, recommends that improvement in market access would significantly improve market systems and would complement climate change adaptation efforts since it would increase the appreciation for indigenous products in in relation to their market value.Item Formal and Informal Institutions in Climate Change Adaptation: The Case of Lawra and Nandom Districts in the Upper West Region, Ghana(University of Ghana, 2018-12) Abass, R.As the current frequency of climate impacts is expected to increase in semi-arid regions of Ghana, smallholder farmers will require access to new and relevant information to adapt successfully. Institutional support is increasingly gaining attention for effective and successful adaptation; however, there is limited knowledge on the specific roles of both formal and informal organizations in implementing adaptation strategies in semi-arid regions. Using the Lawra and Nandom Districts as case studies, the various roles of existing institutions in adaptation strategies were examined. A total of 135 household questionnaires, six focus group discussions (FGDs), 20 in-depth interviews with farmers, and seven key informant interviews from institutions evaluated climate risks and impacts, adaptation responses of farmers and the functions of the different institutions in supporting these adaptation strategies. The majority of respondents observed irregular and unpredictable rainfall (77%), that high temperature and extreme heat (56%) and rainfall sometimes ceases during growing season (55%) as the main changes in the past 10 years. Major agricultural adaptation strategies identified were changing of planting dates (100%), planting of different varieties of the same crop (51%), planting of trees (35%) and seasonal migration of the local farmers (21%). There is high dependence of the smallholder farmers with formal institutions’ resources to adapt, especially for developing/building the local capacity, rather than on local innovations within the communities. This is mainly due to the lack of knowledge about climate change risks and adaptation strategies and limited or no access to financial resources. Government-led adaptation is considered to be more sustained than NGO-led programmes, although the government-led adaptation comparatively lacks specific mandates and financial resources. Continued support of formal institutions will therefore enable the development of more effective agricultural adaptation initiatives.Item Adaptation Strategies of Cocoa Farmers to Climate Change at New Tafo in East Akim Municipality of the Eastern Region of Ghana(University of Ghana, 2018-07) Seidu, A.The main issue of this thesis was to assess the adaptation strategies of cocoa farmers and the external support system in the face of climate change. The study was aimed at assessing the adaptation strategies of cocoa farmers to climate change at New Tafo in Ghana, the influence of the adaptation strategies on cocoa yield and the roles of local institutions in cocoa farmers’ adaptation strategies. Mixed method considering both quantitative and qualitative research design was adopted. With the quantitative method, a questionnaire was designed and distributed to cocoa farmers to assess their adaptation strategies to climate change in the community. A semi structured questionnaire was also designed and administered to local institutions to assess their roles in cocoa farmers’ adaptation strategies to climate change. In the study, the Slovin formula was used to determine the sample size where 120 cocoa farmers were attained from 171 sample population. Supply response model which is based on the production theory was used to assess the influence of adaptation strategy on cocoa yield. Agronomic practices were more important adaptation strategies than socio economic practices. The results of the regression model showed that sale quantity of cocoa beans, practice of soil conservation and agroforestry and fertilizer application were critical in high cocoa yields. The local institutions studied provided mainly technical information, financial assistance and material inputs towards cocoa farmers’ adaptation to climate change. The study recommends that socio-economic factors such as religion and finance should be considered in stakeholder choice of adaptation interventions in cocoa farming communities. Local agricultural extension workers should be supported to provide farmers with effective technical information on inputs and managerial practices in relation to climate change adaptation measures. Farmers’ concerns should be adequately integrated during the design and implementation of climate change adaptation policies.Item Management and Use of Non-Timber Forest Products (Ntfps) As Climate Change Adaptation Strategy in Lawra District, Ghana.(University of Ghana, 2017-07) Sulemana, A.K.Rural and deprived communities continue to face limited alternatives to supporting their livelihoods that are largely affected by climate change and variability. Non Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) have increasingly been promoted, especially in developing countries, as a sustainable livelihood option for forest resources dependent households. The current study sought to identify and assess the use and management practices of NTFPs as a climate change adaptation strategy in the Lawra District, in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The study adopted a case study design with a mixed method approach to data collection. A combination of various data sets including 155 household survey and 5 key-stakeholder interviews with key field observations were used to have firsthand knowledge on the relative spatial distribution of NTFPs. Also, regression, correlations, chi-squares and cross-tabulations were used to established statistical relationships among various variables. Themes were generated using the matrix technique in Microsoft Excel from the in-interviews. The research results showed that over the last 30 years in the Lawra district temperature has increased from 25˚C in 2007 to 30.1˚C in 2014 with rainfall amounts reducing from 1170.6mm in 2008 to 937mm in 2014. According to the residents, this has led to reduced total output from crops yields. Among the adaptation strategies used by residents, NTFPs collection (39.4%) was the highest. Regression analysis showed that both temperature and rainfall were poor predicators of the availability of NTFPs. About 76 NTFPs (Plant and Animal) were identified in the district with Adansonia digitata (baobab), Vitellaria paradoxa (shea), Parkia biglobosa (dawadawa), Physalis peruviana (yellow berries) and Gardenia ternifolia (kazuge) being the most harvested. NTFPs are generally distributed all over the district and designated into parklands at locations where substantial amount of a species is dominant. NTFPS contributes only 1% of the total household annual income but remains significant in the varied non-traded roles v including food supplement, medicine, employment, nutrition, and energy sources. Finally, the study established that the management of NTFPs included both formal and informal institutions, including participation of individual household members. The nascent NTFP industry in the Lawra district faces problems such as marketing and processing challenges and lack of specific policies on NTFPs management. The study recommends a collaborative effort from the government in ensuring local strategies are sustained and improved, increase education and sensitization programs on climate change whiles providing timely weather related information to farmers with agricultural inputs. Finally, the study calls for a nationwide consultation process to draft a national policy on NTFPs management which will provide strong basis for establishing a resilient value chain industry to support rural livelihoods against the impacts of climate change.Item Adoption Of An Ecosystem-Based Adaptation (EbA) Approach In The Face Of Climate Change: Improving Livelihoods In Fringe Communities Around The Worobong South Forest Reserve(University of Ghana, 2017-07) Kyei-Mensah, C.Extreme human activities couple with climate change have the potential to reduce the resilience of communities whose livelihoods depend on the forest ecosystem services. As a way of building resilience of society using the same resource also has the capacity to derive co-benefits for the forest ecosystem upon which livelihoods activities operate. To this end, the study sought to adopt the Ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) to identify Ecosystem services of the Worobong South Forest Reserve (WSFR), assess how these services have been impacted by climate variability or change, the vulnerability of fringe communities and proposed the appropriate EbA strategies needed to improve their livelihoods while enhancing the ecosystem. The study selected five communities around the Worobong South Forest Reserve (WSFR). Questionnaires were administered to 250 respondents, one focus group discussion was held, and three key informant interviews with officers of the Forestry Commission (FC), and Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) and a chief were also conducted. As part of the findings, the respondents perceived changes in rainfall and temperature which corroborated the time series data from GMeT, and these, probably may have affected crop production, supply of bush meat, freshwater, barks, leaves among others which they identified as ecosystem services. To build resilient livelihoods and ecosystem, locals suggested provision of irrigation facilities, enhanced agroforestry with a benefit sharing regime, change of planting time and enforcement of forest regulations. It is recommended that, capacity building efforts and effective stakeholder engagements should be a continuous exercise, while as part of the benefit-sharing scheme for agroforestry, participants can be given 15% of the 40% right to trees planted ahead of maturity as motivation and this will resolve the apprehension of waiting for several years before deriving the full benefits and this can sustain EbA initiatives.Item Climate Change And Blue Carbon: Above-Ground Carbon Stock Of Mangroves In The Lower Volta Area(University of Ghana, 2016-07) Myers, J.H.Mangroves and other blue carbon systems are under high pressure due to population pressure and coastal development. The continuous degradation of mangroves leads to the loss of the carbon stocks stored in the mangrove ecosystem. In this study, GIS based analysis using Landsat images and allometric equations were used to estimate the above-ground carbon stock of mangroves in the Lower Volta area in Ghana. The Landsat images were classified to obtain the mangrove area. An ASTER GDEM covering the mangrove was calibrated to obtain mangrove heights and the above-biomass and above-ground carbon stock was estimated using a global allometric equation. The study identified socio-economic factors that influenced mangrove exploitation as well as assessed the willingness of local residents to use Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as an alternative energy source. The carbon stock for the study area in 2014 was estimated to be 269,379.5 Mg and the carbon stock per hectare was found to be 50.102 Mg. A time series analysis of changes in carbon stock revealed that the study area has lost 161,428.65 Mg of its carbon stock between 1991 and 2014.The results indicated that increased income, commercial supply of fuel wood and supply of fuel wood for domestic use were significant factors that influenced the exploitation of mangroves. The local residents preferred mangroves as an energy source and were less likely to use LPG as an alternative due to price and safety considerations. It is recommended that all major stakeholders contribute towards the effective management and protection of the mangrove resource.