KNUST Journal of Geography and Development
Editor-in-Chief: Prof. Dr. Dr. Daniel Buor
Editor: Dr. Dacosta Aboagye
Associate Editor: Dr. Prince Osei-Wusu Adjei
UPCOMING ARTICLES
PUBLIC-PRIVATE ENGAGEMENTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES
1Bernice Wadei, and 1Divine Odame Appiah
1Department of Geography and Rural Development, KNUST.
Email: berniceasomaniwaa@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is part of the management tools for environmental protection, aimed at ensuring sustainable development. Using the systematic review of secondary materials from peer-reviewed articles, and national to global institutional documents, the paper examined the relation between public and private engagement in using environmental impact assessment as a tool for sustainable development in developing countries. The paper’s theoretical strength is hinged on the Linear and Political Interaction Models for EIA integration, which positively correlates the EIA process with political and activism approaches. The results point to the fact that although EIA is hailed as one of the most successful policy innovations of the 20th Century, its compliance and applicability in developing countries is beset with many challenges. In some instance, EIA implementations have been carried out among private entities as though an institutional burden, with different level of ambivalent connotations. Therefore, EIAs are only seen as legal prerequisites for the commencement of projects and not for genuine concern for environmental protection, per se. In view of this, little to mis-informed public, are usually called to express opinions during participation in rather technical issues pertaining to environmental safety and protection. The paper recommends that the public-private-political interaction needs to be strengthened for both citizenry and institutional discipline and commitments, in ensuring a perspicuous adherence to the implementation ideals of the EIA process in development countries.
KEYWORDS: Environmental impact assessment, Planning and implementation, Public-private engagement, Sustainable development
COPING AND ADAPTATION STRATEGIES OF SMALLHOLDER’S FARMERS TO THE EFFECTS OF LARGE SCALE LAND ACQUISITION IN THE PRU DISTRICT OF GHANA.
1Dr. Charles Quansah, 2Prof Dr, Dr. Daniel Bour, 3William Owusu Ansah, and 4Joseph Essuman Quansah
1Department of Geography, Kumasi Academy Senior High School
Kumasi, Ghana
Email: quansahtina13@yahoo.com
2Department of Geography and rural development, KNUST.
3Department of Planning, KNUST
4School for Policy Studies, Bristol UK
ABSTRACT
The study examines the coping and the adaptation strategies of smallholder farmers to mitigate the effects of large scale land acquisition in the Pru district in the Brong-Ahafo Region in Ghana. The study employed a mixed method approach, where smallholder farmers were interviewed and focus group discussions conducted to achieve the objective of the study. Both primary and secondary data were employed in the study and the qualitative data was analysed thematically whiles inferential and descriptive statistics with the help of SPSS Version 20 was used to analysed the quantitative data. The study found out that smallholder farmer cope and adapt to situation differently as most cope with re-location of farms to far places by leaving the house early and reduce the number of days of visit as smallholder farmers bought motor bikes as their adaptive strategies. The study revealed a lot of coping and adaptation strategies by smallholder farmers including engaging in fishing activities, keeping backyard gardening and depending on the extended family and friends for support
KEYWORDS; Coping, Adaptation, Smallholder, Large scale land acquisition, Pru District
EVALUATION OF THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RAINFALL AND GROUNDNUT YIELD IN NORTHWESTERN NIGERIA
1Maaruf Murtala, 2Iguisi, E.O., 3Ibrahim, A.A., and 4Y.O. Yusif
1Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
Email: maarufmurtala@gmail.com
2Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
3Department of Environmental Management, Federal University Dutse, Jigawa State, Nigeria.
4Department of Geography and Environmental Management, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.
ABSTRACT
Agricultural activities in Northwestern parts of Nigeria depend largely on rainfall-fed. This paper attempts to evaluate the relationship between annual rainfall and groundnut yields in Northwestern Nigeria. In view of this, groundnut yield and rainfall data spanning the periods of sixty years (1955-2015) were employed. The standardized coefficients of Skewness (Z1) and Kurtosis (Z2) were used to test for normality in the seasonal rainfall series (April to October) for each of the stations. The relationship between the rainfall values and the yields of groundnut in the study area were tested using bivariate correlation analysis. It was revealed that Z1 and Z2 for the stations were accepted as normal at 95% confidence level. The results of the correlation analysis indicated a positive (weak) relationship between rainfall values and groundnut yields in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi and Zamfara States, while Sokoto indicated a positive (moderate) relationship between rainfall values and groundnut yields. In view of this, it was recommended that, the various Authorities concerned with agricultural developments should continue to work towards a standard way of coordinating, identifying, organizing and monitoring groundnut production processes peculiar to their States in the study area. Therefore, Government policies in the study area should be based on these recent changes. This would go a long way to bridge the spatial variation of groundnut in the region, among other recommendations.
KEYWORDS: Rainfall, Relationship, Groundnut, Skewness and kurtosis
ILLEGAL MINING AND THE ENVIRONMENT: IMPLICATION FOR CLIMATE SMART AGRICULTURE IN RURAL GHANA
1Gordon Yenglier Yiridomoh, 2Divine Odame Appiah, 3Frederick Dapilah, and 4Cyril Sullo
1Department of Agricultural Economics, Agribusiness and Extension (KNUST)
Email: yiridomoh@gmail.com
2Department of Geography and Rural Development, KNUST
3 Department of Governance and Development Management, UDS
4Department of Planning (KNUST)
ABSTRACT
Illegal mining is a threat to the achievement of the overall sustainable development goal, which seeks to protect the global environment. In recent years, with dwindling opportunities for employment in the formal sector, there has been an upsurge of miners, majority of them operating illegally. The study employed a single case study, using mixed method approach. The objective of this paper was to investigate illegal mining and its environmental implication for climate smart agriculture in the Nadowli-Kaleo district. The study adopted purposive and systematic sampling techniques to select the study communities and respondents respectively. Questionnaires and interviews were used to gather the primary data from respondents at the household level, as the unit of analysis. Data collected was analyzed descriptively using some tools in the Statistical Package for Social Science and thematic analysis for the qualitative information. The study found that known agricultural practices such as terracing, crop rotation, use of domestic waste/manure, irrigation of crops were affected adversely by illegal mining activities. The study recommends that conscious efforts are necessary from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources to either sustain the ban on illegal mining or lift the ban and marry both agriculture and illegal mining with intensified monitoring and supervision to ensure that land use for illegal mining are reclaimed or restored by the miners.
KEYWORDS: Illegal mining, Environment, Climate-smart, Climate-smart agriculture, Agriculture
WHAT HAVE SPIRITS GOT TO DO WITH CLIMATE CHANGE? PERSPECTIVES OF FISHERS AT KOMENDA-EDINA-EGUAFO-ABREM MUNICIPALITY, GHANA
1Kobina Esia-Donkoh
1Department of Population and Health, University of Cape Coast
Email: kesia-donkoh@ucc.edu.gh
ABSTRACT
It has become an undeniable fact that low-lying coastal areas, indigenous groups and the poor inhabitants will have their livelihoods challenged. This is because of their reliance on nature-given productive resources. One of such indigenous groups is fishermen. Understanding the perspectives of fishermen could provide the basis to predict how they would cope with or adapt to the impact of climate change, and which adaptation interventions would be appropriate, hence, this study. Both quantitative and qualitative techniques were employed in this study. In-depth interviews were conducted with 12 fishermen of three generations in two rural (Brenu Akyinmu and Kafodzidzi) and two urban (Elmina and Komenda) communities at Komenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem (KEEA) Municipality. Again, two (male and female) focus group discussions were organized in each of these communities. In addition, stratified sampling was adopted to sample 222 respondents (Brenu Akyinmu: 45; Kafodzizi, 26; Elmina, 106; Komenda, 45). It was found that the first-generation respondents (age 60+) attributed the incidence of climate change to the wrath of the spirit world due to the ‘sins’ committed by man while the rest of the respondents perceived that the phenomenon is a natural occurrence predetermined by the spirit world. These perspectives were rooted in the cosmovision of the respondents.
KEYWORDS: Climate change, Fishers, Spirits, Perspective
FACTORS AFFECTING RURAL WOMEN LIVELIHOOD DIVERSIFICATION IN OKRIKA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA
1Dr Chinwoke C. Ifeanyi-Obi and 1IBANICHUKU, T.S
1Department of Agricultural Economics and Extension
University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Nigeria
Email: clara.ifeanyi-obi@uniport.edu.ng
ABSTRACT
The study examined the factors affecting rural women livelihood diversification in Okrika Local Government Area of Rivers State. Two-stage sampling technique was used to select 120 rural women for the study. Data was collected using questionnaire and interview schedule from 99 respondents and were analyzed with descriptive analytical tools. The findings of the study revealed that majority (76.8%) of the rural women were involved in non-farming activity. It was shown that the major reason for rural women livelihood diversification was to gain economic empowerment, assurance of food at all times and means of additional income in their families. The study further revealed that rural women in trying to diversify their livelihood are constrained by so many factors mainly inadequate infrastructures, increase domestic chores, high cost of labour, high cost of transportation, lack of the needed knowledge and skill, poor educational background, poor market network and working longer hours. The study recommended that adult education should be promoted through vocational skill acquisition to help rural women acquire the necessary education they need to diversify their livelihood. In addition, Government should also improve performance of rural women in livelihood diversification by ensuring adequate infrastructures are made available in the rural areas.
KEYWORDS: Diversification, Rural women, livelihood
KNUST JOURNAL OF GEOGRAPHY AND DEVELOPMENT
Author Guidelines
GENERAL
The KNUST Journal of Geography and Development (KJGD) is a refereed journal published biannually by the Department of Geography and Rural Development, KNUST. The journal seeks to publish articles resulting from original research – theoretical or empirical – in the various fields of geography and development studies. The primary criteria will be that these papers contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the humanities, social science, theoretical and empirical issues on development practice, and environmental sciences. All Papers submitted must be in English language and must not be submitted to other publishing houses although manuscripts published in un-refereed magazines, proceedings, etc, may be accepted subject to satisfying the requirements for publishing in the KJGD. The journal also aims to publish reviews.
MANUSCRIPT
Preparation
Manuscripts should generally be arranged in the following order: title page, abstract, introduction, materials and methods (or Methodology or Procedure), results, discussion (or results and discussions), conclusion (or conclusion and recommendations) acknowledgements, and references.
Submission
Manuscripts may be submitted by email to knustjgds@gmail.com. Manuscripts must be typeset in MS Word format, double-spaced (double spacing applies to text only and NOT to tables, references and figure legends) and pages numbered. Submission of papers to KJGD is understood to mean that the author(s) agree to transfer copyright of the article solely to the publisher to facilitate the widest possible dissemination.
Title page
The first page shall include the title, name(s) of authors, their institutional affiliations and addresses, city and country. The title of the article is typed in bold capitals using font size 14 Times New Roman. Title must be within one hundred characters (including spaces). Authors should be listed with first name followed by their middle initials (if any) and surname (last name) in font size 12 Times New Roman. Addresses (including emails) should be listed under the names of authors. The first author will be assumed to be the contact person unless otherwise stated.
Abstract
The abstract heading should be typed in font size 12 Times New Roman in bold UPPERCASE. The text of the abstract should be typed in font size 12 Times New Roman and in italics. The abstract must be informative with respect to aim, methods, procedures, results, discussion, and conclusion. An abstract should not exceed 250 words.
Keywords
The heading should be 12 points Times New Roman bold. Authors are to provide a maximum of five keywords (separated by comma). The keywords must follow the abstract.
Introduction
The heading should be typed in font size 12 Times New Roman in bold UPPERCASE. The content of the introduction must also be double spaced with font size 12 Times New Roman. The introduction must not be more than two pages.
Materials and Methods
The heading should be typed with font size12 Times New Roman and in bold UPPERCASE.
Results and Discussion
Results should be presented in tables and/or figures whenever possible, but should be clearly explained in the text taking care to avoid unnecessary repetition of tabular data. Information presented in tables should not be repeated in figures, or vice versa.
Tables
All tables must be numbered according to their sequence in the text and should also be referred to in the text before they are placed. The tables should be inserted at the exact positions where they belong in the body of the paper. All tables must have short but self-explanatory titles. Table numbers and titles should be placed at the top left of the tables.
Figures
Figures should be inserted at the exact positions where they belong in the body of the paper and should also be referred to in the text before they are placed. They should be clearly captioned and numbered in sequence below each figure. Figures may not be used to duplicate data already presented in tables or text or vice versa. Photographs and illustrations other than tables are considered as figures and should be referred to as such. Figures should be numbered from 1 and continued serially to 2, 3, etc.
Footnotes
Footnotes to tables should be superscript numbers (1) while superscript letters (a) should be reserved for statistical analysis; asterisks (*) are reserved for probability values. Footnotes to the title page (including title, authors, addresses, etc) are numbered sequentially from the beginning. Footnotes should be used sparingly and only if absolutely required, otherwise the information should be embodied in the text of the paper.
References
Authors are supposed to organize their references according to the APA referencing style. References to literature in the body of the manuscript are cited by author(s), followed by year. All literature mentioned in the text should be listed in alphabetical and chronological (if same authors have more than one paper cited) order at the end of the paper under references.
Latin Words and Phrases
Latin words used to identify biological structures or entities must be italicised; similarly phrases like et al., in situ, in vivo, versus, per se. On the other hand, commonly used abbreviations such as etc., viz. and e.g. do not require italicisation.
Numbers
Numerals are not to be used to start sentences; words are preferred. Again, words should be used for all numbers less than 10 and numerals for those from 10. In the situation where a sequence of numbers is given with some less and others more than 10 (e.g. 150, 90, 45, 17, 9, 3), the use of numerals for all is advised. If a number is followed immediately by a unit of measurement, use the numeral, e.g., 2g; 3cm.
Units of Measurement
The use of the metric system (SI) of measure is mandatory for all authors.
Peer Review
All manuscripts are subject to review by at least two referees knowledgeable in the author's field of study. These reviewers ensure the accuracy, currency and relevance of papers and their comments aid the Editor-in-Chief in deciding on the acceptability or otherwise of submitted manuscripts. Based on their comments, authors may be required to make modifications to their papers before final acceptance. The Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board make the final decision on any paper, irrespective of comments of reviewers.
Proofs
Galley proofs of all accepted manuscripts are sent to the corresponding author to check for typographical errors and answer queries raised by the Editor-in-Chief. Extensive alterations to the galley proof beyond those demanded by the Editor-in-Chief may require further review and will attract a surcharge.
Copy of the Published Paper
Authors whose research papers are accepted for publication will receive a pdf version of their published paper via email. Copies of the journal will be sent to authors only upon receipt of the payment of the appropriate subscription fees.
Originality of Manuscripts
The Editorial Board of KJGD assumes no responsibility for statements made or opinions expressed by authors who should ensure that all submitted manuscripts have resulted from their own original work.
Manuscript Length
Research papers submitted for publication should be between 4,000 and 10,000 words, including tables and figures. Reviews submitted for publication should be between 3,000 and 7,000. All articles should remain within these limits to be accepted for publication.
Ethics in Publishing
Authors MUST follow ethical means of undertaking the research, acquiring the data, and presenting information especially, on personal issue and people’s picture. In such cases, Authors must state categorically how they have followed ethically accepted means of reporting the information.