The growing global concerns about the environment have to do with sustainability issues. Where the activities of the individual, community, national or international, being it economic, social, political, or cultural, do not post any damage to the environment that will call forcompromise for future generations to look for their means of survival in terms of thequalityand quantity of the environment. However, environmental degradation, pollution, andclimatechange challenges persist locally and globally. Hence, green media content may increasetheaudience's ecological consciousness. Indeed, several authors have highlighted the central role of both print and audio-visual media in bringing environmental issues to public and political attention. This paper aims to compile the insights of various environmental narratives andrepresentations that showcase human-environment relationships over time. As a desk study, the keywords were also the search words for the appropriate literature. It takes theoretical andphilosophical roots from ecocritism. The study reveals that these environmental narratives andrepresentation strategies will go a long way to facilitate public connections, enhance ecologicalsensibility, and facilitate behavioural change.
Globally, social movements are significant in advocating political, social, economic and environmental policy and programmes, thereby shaping societies. These movements havehistorically employed various methods ranging from peaceful protest to digital activism,including legal reforms. This desk study examines social movements and their operational processes. Specifically, the study interrogates the types of social movements, their characteristics, key challenges and their coping strategies. The findings established that though social movement’s methods may change over time, technology is the pivot for the movements’ effectiveness, organisation, public support and conformability. The study concludes that social movements' successes depend on attainable goals, established objectives and coping strategies. It is recommended that civil society cultivate decentralised mobilization, engagelocal communities, utilise digital media effectively, and enhance collaboration with various groups to bolster impact and legitimacy. Accomplishing these objectives is vital and can be realisedthrough effective collaboration and inclusivity.
The nexus between property rights, institutions and resource management is inadequatelyexplored in the literature. Hence, this study reviews the extant literature to answer thequestion: How can governments balance development with environmental protection? Theaimis to improve understanding of property rights, institutions and resource management. It usesaqualitative approach, a cross-sectional study and secondary data. The study reassessespolicy documents, and land, forestry, fisheries, and water management case studies. Inaddition, it synthesises theoretical and empirical perspectives. By so doing, gaps within the propertyrights policy are exposed. The study further shows that property rights have their institutionsand policies, which dictate the management of resources in the environment. Thepaperconcludes that property rights play different roles in directing who can and cannot exploitresources and environmental interventions, including conservation and the distributionof thebenefits of the ecosystem. The paper recommends to governments that protectingtheenvironment and resources requires integrated environmental policy to ensure environmentalsustainability and economic prosperity.
Eco-cultural tourism creates a new product by combining natural attractions, biodiversity, conservation, human footprints and overall development. This paper reviews existing literatureon the impacts of eco-cultural tourism on rural communities endowed with ecological andcultural attractions in addressing poverty and rural development needs. Specifically, itaddresses the tripartite sustainable development needs, the attractions, in-situ andex-situcommunities and their development issues — this qualitative study employed a desk review. The search engines were Google Scholar, ResearchGate, Scopus, and Web of Science. Theconcepts included eco-cultural tourism, tourism development, and community responses. Thedata analysis used content analysis, identifying similarities and differences. The results indicatethe strength of eco-cultural tourism in creating essential economic opportunities suchas jobs, and boosting other income sources such as carpentry, fishing and social relations for social capital. The environment is conserved and cultural standards are upheld. Nonetheless, thebenefits are unequal, and the culture is priced for commodification. There is amixedcommunity response, such as euphoria for the beneficiaries and apathy/resistancefromthreatened livelihoods. This paper contributes to eco-cultural tourismunderstandingandpromotion, and recommends inclusivity and equitable sharing of the benefits toensurestakeholder commitment and collaboration.
Environmental pollution has received global attention, particularly regarding noise pollution, but noise generated from worship places remains a concern in urban areas where worship places are on the rise. This raises a question about the compliance of worship places with land use plans and noise levels in urban areas. The study analysed the spatial distribution of worship places to ascertain their compliance with local land use plans and noise levels in the Wa Municipality of Ghana. Locations of worship places were mapped and analysed in the context of two local plans of the study area. Data regarding the planning standards, zoning regulations, and the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved noise range of 45-55 dB, as well as the views of key informants (n = 8) around the worship places were used to support the analysis. The results revealed that the spatial distribution of worship places was dispersed with a Z-score of less than 5%. About 88% of the worship places did not comply with local plans. Some worship places were sited in residential and other land uses, while areas earmarked for worship places were encroached upon by other land uses. Sound levels from the worship places exceeded the EPA permissible noise range of 45-55 decibels. The study concludes that worship places in Wa Municipality do not comply with the prescribed local land use plans and noise levels of the country. The study recommends that the Wa Municipality Assembly and the EPA should regularly embark on monitoring exercises to enforce compliance with local land use plans and acceptable noise levels in the Municipality.
This study examines patients' satisfaction with Community-Based Health Planning and Services (CHPS) facilities in the Nadowli-Kaleo district, using the refined SERVQUAL model. A total of 30 items, encompassing the five dimensions of the refined SERVQUAL model (tangibles, responsiveness, reliability, assurance, and empathy), were evaluated. Data were collected from 406 patients across 10 CHPS zones using an embedded mixed-method design, with questionnaire and interview guide as the data collection tools. The findings indicate that the majority of respondents were either very satisfied or satisfied with the services provided by CHPS facilities, with an overall mean satisfaction score of 1.1, indicating a satisfactory rating. However, a considerable proportion of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the appearance of the buildings (34.3%), availability of equipment (30.4%), comfort during waiting times (22.6%), and availability of healthcare professionals at all times (17.6%). These findings suggest that despite general satisfaction with CHPS services, the specific areas of dissatisfaction reveal patients’ unmet needs and expectations. Addressing these gaps is essential to enhancing the quality of care and strengthening the effectiveness of CHPS in meeting the healthcare needs of rural populations.
The Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) to conflict resolution and peacebuilding promotes social justice by ensuring participation, empowerment, equity, and the incorporation of the needs of all relevant actors. However, studies indicate that factors including lack of formal education and capacity building, and political intolerance hinder the application of HRBA as an inclusive peace initiative. This study examined how the principles of HRBA are incorporated in the peace processes of some selected communities in northern Ghana. Through a concurrent mixed-method design and a combination of simple random, convenience and maximum variation sampling techniques, 306 members were chosen from seven conflict hotspot communities. The study revealed that the political empowerment and participation of ethnic minorities, women and youth in peace architecture have been insufficient. Besides, mediation appeared unsuccessful in resolving the root causes of the conflicts because it failed to address the human rights concerns of the underprivileged groups. Finally, mediation processes have not adequately captured the views and needs of the youth and women, who are mostly affected by the conflicts. The study concludes that peace initiatives fall short in adopting an HRBA, contributing to the relapse of conflicts. Therefore, the study recommends an HRBA to promote peacebuilding processes in the study areas.
The McConnells’ theory of policy success or failure provides a framework to investigate educational stakeholders’ perspectives on the responsiveness of Ghana’s Free Senior High School (FSHS) program relative to its stated programmatic objectives. The perspectives of twenty (20) purposively selected heads of public senior high schools, officers of the Ghana Education Service, and leaders of teacher unions in the Wa Municipality were explored. To collect data, a qualitative case study design was employed, utilising in-depth interviews. The data was subsequently analysed using interpretive content and thematic analysis. The study revealed that the programme eliminated financial barriers and increased enrolment, but it neglected equity and efficiency. The policy’s implementation lacked stakeholder engagement and focused on access rather than quality education.
Climate change poses substantial challenges to smallholder farmers in Kubori, a community in Ghana's northeast region, where livelihoods are predominantly reliant on rain-fed agriculture. Using a mixed-methods approach that included a survey of 47 farmers and interviews with key informants from the community, such as assembly members, chiefs, and District Department of Agriculture officers, this study, guided by the Sustainable Livelihood Framework, investigates how climate change affects farmers' livelihoods and adaptive strategies. The findings indicated widespread awareness of climate change, with 87.2% of respondents reporting adverse effects on food availability, including reduced crop yields and increased food prices. The study further revealed irregular rains (42.6%) and drought (27.7%) hamper planting schedules and soil health. Although adaptive measures such as drought-tolerant varieties (27.7%) and diversification (19.1%) were used, economic constraints (38.3%) and inadequate supply of irrigation technology limit effective adaptation. In addition, 72.3% of farmers experienced decreasing incomes, resulting in 44.7% diversifying into off-farm activities. The study concludes that while farmers show readiness to switch, this is hindered by climatic uncertainty and structural barriers.
Urban planning and basic service delivery by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies in Ghana require huge financial resources, yet many MMDAs struggle to mobilise sufficient local revenues. However, several billboards springing up on a daily basis present a potential source of revenue mobilisation. How can MMDAs leverage on land use planning to raise revenues from billboards? In Ejisu Municipality there is huge potential revenue from the many billboards, many of them have not acquired the appropriate permits, resulting in the Assembly losing local revenues. The paper employs mixed method design interviewing high-profile revenue officials of the Assembly and owners of the billboards. The findings show that billboard owners are not aware that they require permits, some are aware but just flout the law. The study concludes that the Ejisu Municipal Assembly has failed to sufficiently enforce permitting procedures and regulations, which inhibit revenue mobilisation for development.
Children are vulnerable and suffer various forms of physical or mental violence, abuse, exploitation, neglect, lack of healthcare, and educational and well-being interference. With40per cent of Ghana's population under 15 years, it is appropriate to promote, protect andenforce child rights regimes. This review uses relevant secondary data frominternational treaties, conventions, legislation, and policies on children’s rights, with a special referencetoGhana using the regime theory. The study reveals that Ghana has signed and ratified 10UnitedNations treaties and eight International Labour Organization conventions to protect andsupportchildren's civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. In addition, there are national legislations, policies and programmes. These include the 1992 Constitution of the Republicof Ghana, the Courts Act 1993 (Act 456) as amended, the Children’s Act of 1998, and the NationalCybersecurity Act 2020 (Act 1038) aspects on Child Online Protection. The study concludes thatthere are major emerging threats and risks to children’s rights and recommends national andinternational measures to address these imminent dangers and ensure children's safety onlineand offline participation in the era of increasing scientific and technological advances.
The paper reviewed Ghanaian newspaper issues. It aimed to investigate the coverage of agricultural issues by newspapers in Ghana. Previous studies have either focused on covering specific topics or used data that covered a few years. The study sampled 524 newspapers from issues appearing between January 2010 and 31st December 2019 and subjected them to content analysis using the random composite week method. Data analysis employed descriptive statistics and the Chi-Square test forinferences. Agricultural news constituted only 37% of all news published by the newspaper within the period. Most agricultural news focused on Agricultural investment followed by Agricultural Policy and Strategy, Education and Sensitization and Agricultural Promotion. As low as 8.8% of all agricultural messages were on thepaper'sfront page. About 69% of the agricultural news appeared as letters or features, where as straight formats were only 31%. Though more journalists than agriculture and live stock experts covered agricultural issues, an encouraging number of the authors of agricultural news were agricultural practitioners or experts in related fields. To improve the prominence of agricultural news, decision -makers in the newspaper should ensure that more of such news is put on the front page. Also, agricultural practitioners should publish more in newspapers. Keywords: Newspaper coverage of agricultural issues, content analysis, scope and prominence of agricultural News, Ghana
Ghana’s national governance hierarchy has been designed such that city governments tendtohave administrative legitimacy to control peri-urban townships. The urban dominance has beento create a place out of space through the intermediary of infrastructure. This paper adds thetheme of ‘landfilling’ to the debate on urban infrastructure dominance. It examinedhowtheDompoase landfill in Kumasi, an urban infrastructure intended to galvanise enthusiasmtowardsproper waste management (WM), has become the epicentre of neighbourhood risk. Thestudydraws on empirical field data from nearby communities; the results showthe landfill ischaracterised by poor management practices that often contradict public health principles. Poor management practices have resulted in risky neighbourhood environmental conditions, asevidenced by increased clouds of insects, surface water pollution, foul odour, and excessivesmoke pollution. The communities perceive these neighbourhood risks as responsibleforescalating environmentally related health problems across the landfill enclave. Thearticleconcludes that contemporary socio-spatial characteristics of Ghanaian cities are increasinglybecoming incompatible with the reliance on landfills as a waste management option.
The increasing use, environmental impacts, health implications, and safety concerns surrounding cooking fuels in non-domestic settings have raised concerns due to the possible or significant public health risks. This study assessed the hazards and health conditions associated with cooking fuel among non-domestic users in the Tamale Metropolis. A cross-sectional research design was employed in the data collection involving 407 respondents. The majority of non-domestic users were from urban communities (93.3%). The respondents who brew pito(100.0%), bake bread (100.0%), and operate restaurants (100.0%) were likely to use more firewood. Most non-domestic users of cook fuel patronise traditional cook fuels. The most preferred cook fuels are firewood (46.9%), charcoal (36.7%) and LPG(5.7%) due to affordability. Emission/inhalation of smoke, burns, tearing of eyes, and irritation of eyes and body were identified as health hazards associated with the use of traditional cook fuels, whilst burns and outbreaks of fires were associated with LPG and electricity. Ghana's government and non-government organisations should invest in the promotion of cleaner cook fuels to save the environment from further distraction.
This study proposes that culture influences health-seeking behaviour, worldviews, livedexperiences, and people's epistemologies. Thus, this study aims to interrogatethepractice of medical syncretism, a necessary health-seeking behaviour characterizedbypatients patronizing the hospital's services and Traditional Medicine Practitioners (TMPs)to deal with their healthcare needs. This study, therefore, investigates howorthopaedicpatients shuffle between the hospital and traditional bone setters to seek care for theirfractures. The study's specific objectives include interrogating the nature of medical syncretism within the context of bone setting, understanding the factors that underpinthe practice of medical syncretism in fracture care, and the benefits of medical syncretism to primary healthcare in Ghana. It uses a qualitative approach, ethnographyand phenomenology. The study engages with medical syncretismin line withbonesetting, citing evidence from the Volta Region of Ghana. The study reveals that fear of amputation, surgeries, first aid, expertise, technology, good reviewprocesses, social support system, fast healing, and the use of herbs as the basis for medical syncretisminfracture care. The study concludes that collaborative efforts between orthopaedists andtraditional bone setters in fracture management, care, and treatment will ensuresustainable health development in Ghana.
Grasscutter (Thryonomys swinderianus) meat is in high demand in Africa, explainingtheincrease in the rearing business. However, this business comes with various production, marketing, financing, personnel, and legal risks. This study investigates the grasscutter farmers’ concerns and attitudes regarding risks. It employed a quantitative approach, a cross-sectional survey, and a structured questionnaire for grasscutter farmers (N = 52). Data analysis usedcorrelation and multivariate analyses in STATA version 14. The results showed that grasscutterfarmers' risk aversion increases significantly as concerns about the inability to adapt tonewtechnology in grasscutter rearing (r = -0.27; p = 0.05), losses of grasscutters due to mortality(r =-0.28; p = 0.04), feed shortage (r = -0.34; p = 0.02) and aggression of grasscutters (r = -0.40; p=0.01) increase (p ≤ 0.05). In addition, gender, age, educational level, number of dependents, years of rearing experience, farm size, off-farm jobs, and income generated fromgrasscuttersales were significantly associated with farmers’ risk attitude (p ≤ 0.05). The study concludesthat risk concerns, such as farmers’ characteristics, influence risk attitudes. Thestudyrecommends that the government of Ghana should emphasise risk concerns and farmandfarmers’ variables in grasscutter policy directives.
The ecosystem supports human existence on Earth. However, climate change, landdegradation, and human misuse threaten the ecosystem and human sustenance. Hence, ecosystem thinking guides sustainable production and consumption of ecosystem resources to ensure environmental sustainability. This study analysed data gathered from 2002 (people, land management and ecosystemchange), 2004(sand winning, artisanal small-scale mining and smallholder farming), 2006 (forest land degradation, sustainable land management and smallholder cocoafarming), 2008/2009 (literature review on land degradation and forest ecosystem), 2010/2011 field data collection in cocoa-farms and protected forest reserve mosaic, 2015 (anthropic pressures on gallery forest and riparian resources), and agroforestry, agroclimatology, ecotourism and social science philosophy up to 2024 culminatedinto ecosystem thinking. The results and discussions focus on ecosystemtheory andecosystem-based management as significant approaches to establishing ecosystemthinking. In conclusion, ecosystem thinking advocates a holistic science-basedunderstanding of ecosystem components, relationships, and processes for delivering essential ecosystem goods and services for sustainable use, conservation, andintergenerational equity. The study recommends stakeholder collaboration, a goal and plan, sound ecological models, complexity and connectedness, humans-in- ecosystem, adaptability and accountability to make informed decisions that balancehuman needs of the ecosystem with ecological integrity to ensure long-termecosystem health and resilience.
Many interventions have been implemented for the technical management and sustainability of Small-Town Water Systems, but the expected results are few. Small-Town Water Systems are fraught with challenges, leading to the unsustainability of most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Therefore, this study assessed the technical management and sustainability of Small-Town Water Systems using experiences from the North Gonja District in Ghana. A qualitative approach to research with a case study design was adopted. A total of 53 participants were purposively sampled and were seen as key stakeholders with in-depth knowledge of the Small-Town Water Systems in the District which they shared for this study. Interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data from the participants. The data were analysed by thematic analysis. The results revealed that the Small-Town Water Systems needed rehabilitation with innovative technologies, maintenance and repairs were reactive, small-towns recovery mechanisms from major breakdowns were weak, resulting in long Small-Town Water Systems downtimes, Water System Management Teams technical know- how was low, and there was limited technical support services. Small-Town Water Systems should be revamped with modern and digital technological designs and operated professionally. The study concludes that the current technical management of Small-Town Water Systems by the Water System Management Teams poses a threat to their sustainability. The study recommends an establishment of a linkage between technical management and the operations of Small-Town Water Systems to ensure sustainability.
Women's participation in local politics and community engagement is crucial in ensuring a fair representation in local government administration. Studies have acknowledged the low representation of women, but there is limited research on the roles of the elected few in local government. The study recognises the efforts of assemblywomen’s mentorship to empower other women in the local governance system in Ghana. It investigates assemblywomen’s administrative responsibilities that involve other women in community engagement. This strategy politically empowered them and enhanced inclusive governance in five regions of Ghana: Eastern, Central, Bono, Greater Accra, and Western Regions. The study employed a qualitative research approach, used the exploratory design, and sampled 30 assemblywomen for face-to-face interviews on their lived experiences. Four key informants were also interviewed. Other key informants were 6 assemblymen who engaged in focused group discussions. This study is underpinned by substantive representation theory, where elected assemblywomen engaged other women and responded to the needs of the communities. The findings revealed that assemblywomen’s responsibilities and community engagement empowered other women to address their needs. The study recommends the encouragement of assemblywomen to mentor other women to participate in local politics to improve inclusive governance.
The article examined the challenges confronting women micro-, small-, and medium-scale entrepreneurs (MSMEs) in accessing and utilizing microcredit from microfinance institutions (MFIs) in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The article used a cross-sectional design and mixed-methods approach with a sample of 274 MSMEs. It employed questionnaires to rank the challenges, while interviews elicited the entrepreneurs’ experiences regarding challenges they confront. Garrett’s constraints ranking statistics and verbatim presentation from interviewees were adopted to analyse and present the quantitative and qualitative data, respectively. The results indicate that out of ten constraints, delayed disbursement of microloans, with a total rank of 716, mean rank of 2.36, mean Garrett’s percentage position of 21.13, and mean Garrett’s score of 68.40, ranked highest. The least constraint was little or no concern for clients’ businesses by MFIs with a total clients’ rank of 2,222, mean rank of 8.11, mean percentage position of 76.09, and mean score of 32.94. It is concluded that though a myriad of challenges face MFI-supported MSMEs, the MSMEs have preferences as to which challenge impact their businesses most. It is recommended that in tackling challenges that MFI-clients MSMEs face, it is important to use the preferences of the clients as a guide for better results.
