Journal of Integrated Disaster Risk Management, 2014
Faced with adversarial climatic and physical conditions and an inept socioeconomic development pr... more 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,
The results of the survey in Kugsabile 48 people have been interviewed in Kugsabile, of 12 differ... more The results of the survey in Kugsabile 48 people have been interviewed in Kugsabile, of 12 different compounds. It was the intention to select households with a long existence and a long memory of changes in the area and of the impact of the Presbyterian (Garu) Agricultural Station (PAS). In each compound a woman of at least 35 years old was the prime informant, next to her husband, one of her grown up children (between 18 and 35 years old) and one of the elderly people living on the same compound (often the father or mother of the husband). Half of the twelve selected families were selected because at least one of their members was a direct beneficiary of the Presbyterian Agricultural Station in Garu; a member of a PAS group. In the other half there were no current members, although one of those households appeared to gain directly as well. For each of these two subgroups an attempt was made to select two households, which locally were regarded as relatively rich; two, which were locally regarded as relatively poor and two in between. Also an attempt was made to include Muslim members of PAS groups, although there are not many, and none of them Busangas. Of the interviewed wives only one had no 'rivals'. Eight wives had one co-wife; three had two. Of the interviewed husbands the average number of wives was two. The wives who were interviewed had on average 6 children (with a range from 2-13), their husbands had on average 9 children (range 5-16). Half of the young people who were interviewed were married, with on average two children of their own. Of the elderly respondents five were still married and seven were widows or widowers. The households that were selected happened to be a representation of the ethnic and religious differences in the village: 8 were Kusasi and 4 Busanga. None of the Busanga were member of a PAS group, but two of the Kusasis were neither. In three of the four Busanga compounds all interviewed members were Muslims. In the fourth Busanga compound both husband and wife said they were 'Traditionalists', but their children became Muslims. In the Kusasi group the situation is more complicated. Among the six PAS group beneficiary compounds (all Kusasi), two are Muslim (although one of the interviewed children appeared to be a 'breakaway' Presbyterian). They belong to the rich and medium-rich category. In one Kusasi PAScompound both husband and wife are 'Traditionalists', but their childen joined the Presbyterian church. This household belongs to the poor category. In one Kusasi PAScompound the husband still regards himself to be a 'Traditionalist', but his wife joined the Presbyterians (already in 1972) and their children are Presbyterians as well. Also this household belongs to the poor category. In the two other PAS-compounds all members are Presbyterians. In both cases the husbands joined first (already in 1962, even before they were married) and the wives followed (in 1970 resp. 1980, but that was after their marriage). These households belong to the rich and medium rich category. five interviewed children are
Northern Ghana is a sub-humid area, combining areas with high population densities and high repor... more Northern Ghana is a sub-humid area, combining areas with high population densities and high reported levels of land degradation with scarcely populated areas, which have low levels of land degradation. It consists of three administrative Regions: Upper East Region (densely populated, around Bolgatanga and Bawku in particular), Upper West Region (pockets of dense populationaround Wa, Nandom and Lawra-amidst low population densities), and Northern Region (mainly low population densities, with the exception of the area of the major town of Ghana's northern area: Tamale. The ICCD research was concentrated in the Bolgatanga area, but later extended to include the Nandom area in Upper West (as the start of a proposal to develop a Climate Change Preparedness Programme in Northern Ghana, financed by the University of Amsterdam). In the absence of useful longitudinal data at the village or household levels, it was decided to organise two expert meetings (workshops), in collaboration with the University of Development Studies at Tamale, the University of Ghana at Legon and a local NGO, CECIK. Most of the research activities for ICCD took place in the so-called Bolgatanga cell, an area between 10° and 11° North and 0° and 1° West. It covers the eastern part of Upper East Region and the northeastern part of Northern Region. Around 1960 the cell had an average population density of less than 50 inhabitants per square kilometre (although by that time, parts of the northern area already had densities far beyond that). On average, though, the density still could be regarded as 'low' compared to other drylands in the tropics. Currently, the Bolgatanga cell has between 0.7 and 0.8 million inhabitants, which means an average population density of between 60 and 70 inhabitants per square kilometre; high in relative terms. The part of the cell, which is located in the Upper East Region, has a very high population density with an average of 200 persons per square kilometre. 12.1 CROPS AND LAND USE DYNAMICS IN NORTHERN GHANA Crops that are relevant in the northern parts of Ghana include maize, sorghum, millets, rice, groundnuts and cotton. Most of the crop (harvest area) data recorded by the FAO for these crops for Ghana as a whole can be attributed to the northern areas. Maize has almost always been the most important grain crop of Ghana, in terms of hectarage (although more important in the centre-north areas and not in the upper-north areas). The maize area increased from between 200,000 and 300,000 ha in the 1960s to a level between 600,000 and 700,000 ha in the late 1990s. The year 1984 was an absolute peak year, with 720,000 ha. The years 1965 and 1978 were the lowest with less than 200,000 ha.
Journal of Integrated Disaster Risk Management, 2014
Faced with adversarial climatic and physical conditions and an inept socioeconomic development pr... more 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,
The results of the survey in Kugsabile 48 people have been interviewed in Kugsabile, of 12 differ... more The results of the survey in Kugsabile 48 people have been interviewed in Kugsabile, of 12 different compounds. It was the intention to select households with a long existence and a long memory of changes in the area and of the impact of the Presbyterian (Garu) Agricultural Station (PAS). In each compound a woman of at least 35 years old was the prime informant, next to her husband, one of her grown up children (between 18 and 35 years old) and one of the elderly people living on the same compound (often the father or mother of the husband). Half of the twelve selected families were selected because at least one of their members was a direct beneficiary of the Presbyterian Agricultural Station in Garu; a member of a PAS group. In the other half there were no current members, although one of those households appeared to gain directly as well. For each of these two subgroups an attempt was made to select two households, which locally were regarded as relatively rich; two, which were locally regarded as relatively poor and two in between. Also an attempt was made to include Muslim members of PAS groups, although there are not many, and none of them Busangas. Of the interviewed wives only one had no 'rivals'. Eight wives had one co-wife; three had two. Of the interviewed husbands the average number of wives was two. The wives who were interviewed had on average 6 children (with a range from 2-13), their husbands had on average 9 children (range 5-16). Half of the young people who were interviewed were married, with on average two children of their own. Of the elderly respondents five were still married and seven were widows or widowers. The households that were selected happened to be a representation of the ethnic and religious differences in the village: 8 were Kusasi and 4 Busanga. None of the Busanga were member of a PAS group, but two of the Kusasis were neither. In three of the four Busanga compounds all interviewed members were Muslims. In the fourth Busanga compound both husband and wife said they were 'Traditionalists', but their children became Muslims. In the Kusasi group the situation is more complicated. Among the six PAS group beneficiary compounds (all Kusasi), two are Muslim (although one of the interviewed children appeared to be a 'breakaway' Presbyterian). They belong to the rich and medium-rich category. In one Kusasi PAScompound both husband and wife are 'Traditionalists', but their childen joined the Presbyterian church. This household belongs to the poor category. In one Kusasi PAScompound the husband still regards himself to be a 'Traditionalist', but his wife joined the Presbyterians (already in 1972) and their children are Presbyterians as well. Also this household belongs to the poor category. In the two other PAS-compounds all members are Presbyterians. In both cases the husbands joined first (already in 1962, even before they were married) and the wives followed (in 1970 resp. 1980, but that was after their marriage). These households belong to the rich and medium rich category. five interviewed children are
Northern Ghana is a sub-humid area, combining areas with high population densities and high repor... more Northern Ghana is a sub-humid area, combining areas with high population densities and high reported levels of land degradation with scarcely populated areas, which have low levels of land degradation. It consists of three administrative Regions: Upper East Region (densely populated, around Bolgatanga and Bawku in particular), Upper West Region (pockets of dense populationaround Wa, Nandom and Lawra-amidst low population densities), and Northern Region (mainly low population densities, with the exception of the area of the major town of Ghana's northern area: Tamale. The ICCD research was concentrated in the Bolgatanga area, but later extended to include the Nandom area in Upper West (as the start of a proposal to develop a Climate Change Preparedness Programme in Northern Ghana, financed by the University of Amsterdam). In the absence of useful longitudinal data at the village or household levels, it was decided to organise two expert meetings (workshops), in collaboration with the University of Development Studies at Tamale, the University of Ghana at Legon and a local NGO, CECIK. Most of the research activities for ICCD took place in the so-called Bolgatanga cell, an area between 10° and 11° North and 0° and 1° West. It covers the eastern part of Upper East Region and the northeastern part of Northern Region. Around 1960 the cell had an average population density of less than 50 inhabitants per square kilometre (although by that time, parts of the northern area already had densities far beyond that). On average, though, the density still could be regarded as 'low' compared to other drylands in the tropics. Currently, the Bolgatanga cell has between 0.7 and 0.8 million inhabitants, which means an average population density of between 60 and 70 inhabitants per square kilometre; high in relative terms. The part of the cell, which is located in the Upper East Region, has a very high population density with an average of 200 persons per square kilometre. 12.1 CROPS AND LAND USE DYNAMICS IN NORTHERN GHANA Crops that are relevant in the northern parts of Ghana include maize, sorghum, millets, rice, groundnuts and cotton. Most of the crop (harvest area) data recorded by the FAO for these crops for Ghana as a whole can be attributed to the northern areas. Maize has almost always been the most important grain crop of Ghana, in terms of hectarage (although more important in the centre-north areas and not in the upper-north areas). The maize area increased from between 200,000 and 300,000 ha in the 1960s to a level between 600,000 and 700,000 ha in the late 1990s. The year 1984 was an absolute peak year, with 720,000 ha. The years 1965 and 1978 were the lowest with less than 200,000 ha.
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Papers by francis obeng