Sustaining the Future. Economic, Social, and Environmental Change in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNU, 1996, 365 p.): Part 5: Environment and development in Ghana: Institutional issues on the environment and resource management with reference to Ghana: Early developments

Sustaining the Future. Economic, Social, and Environmental Change in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNU, 1996, 365 p.)

Note to the reader from the UNU

Preface

(introduction...)

Background

Regional environmental futures

References

Opening address by the Hon. Minister of Environment, Science and Technology

Introduction

(introduction...)

Economy and society: Development issues

Environmental issues and futures

Environment and resource management

Institutional issues

Environment and development in Ghana

Recommendations

References

Part 1: Economy and society: development issues

Poverty, vulnerability, and rural development

(introduction...)

The nature of poverty

Rural poverty and development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Aspects of economy and society in SS Africa

Vulnerability

Poverty and economic reform

Conclusion

References

Environmental management and social equity

(introduction...)

Introduction

The key notions

The political-economic context of contemporary environmental management

Social equity and environmental management: Some examples

The way forward

References

Introduction to population, resources, and sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa

(introduction...)

Introduction

Internal and international migration

Natural resources

Human resources

Population, agricultural land, and food supply

Population, economy, and sustainable development

References

Urbanization and industrialization: What future for Sub-Saharan Africa?

(introduction...)

Introduction

The continuing rapid rate and scale of urbanization

The urban environment

The limitations of industrialization

The impact of structural adjustment

Sub-Saharan Africa as the global periphery

Implications for urbanization and industrialization

References

Urban environmental management and issues in Africa south of the Sahara

(introduction...)

Introduction

The process of urbanization in Sub-Saharan Africa

The nature of environmental problems

Causes of the current problems

The way forward

Concluding remarks

References

Part 2: Environmental issues and futures

Towards sustainable environmental and resource management futures in Sub-Saharan Africa

(introduction...)

Introduction

The concept of sustainable development and its implications

Driving forces

Levels of environmental effects of human activities and sustainability concerns

Constraints on sustainable development in Sub-Saharan Africa

Recommendations

References

Drought, desertification, and water management in Sub-Saharan Africa

(introduction...)

Introduction

Droughts in Sub-Saharan Africa and their implications for planning and development

Desertification

Land degradation and management of soil and water

Conclusion

Acknowledgements

References

Tropical deforestation and its impact on soil, environment, and agricultural productivity

(introduction...)

Introduction

TRF and its conversion

Soils of the TRF ecosystem

Forest conversion and soil productivity

Deforestation and the emission of radiatively active gases

Deforestation and hydrological balance

Sustainable use of the TRF ecosystem

Research needs

References

The coastal zone and oceanic problems of Sub-Saharan Africa

(introduction...)

Introduction

The value of the coastal zone and oceans

The main problems and their causes

Remedies

References

Part 3: Environment and resource management

Agricultural development in the age of sustainability: Crop production

(introduction...)

Introduction

The ecological zones of Sub-Saharan Africa

General crop production constraints and potentials for overcoming them

Technologies with potential for sustainable resource management

Women's underexploited potential

Suggested approaches to sustainable production

Summary

Conclusions

Acknowledgements

References

Agricultural development in the age of sustainability: Livestock production

(introduction...)

Introduction

Livestock production, productivity, and feed resources

The effect of government policy on livestock production

Suggested solutions

Summary and conclusions

References

The fuelwood/energy crisis in Sub-Saharan Africa

(introduction...)

Introduction

Population and environmental concerns

The primary energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa

Problems of the energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa

The socio-economic implications of the fuelwood crisis

Strategies to combat the fuelwood crisis Strategies to combst the fuelwood crisis

New and renewable energy development

Conclusion

References

The case for mineral resources management and development in Sub-Saharan Africa

(introduction...)

References

Part 4: Institutional issues

Modes of international and regional research cooperation

(introduction...)

Introduction

The global change programmes

Networking

Environmental governance

Outlook

References

National, regional, and international cooperation for sustainable environmental and resource management: The place and roles of NGOs

(introduction...)

Introduction

Information sharing

Partnerships with other institutions

Dialogues with governmental and industry organs

Linking with policy institutions

Working with monitoring institutions for effective implementation and accountability

Conclusion

References

Part 5: Environment and development in Ghana

Institutional issues on the environment and resource management with reference to Ghana

(introduction...)

Introduction

Early developments

The Stockholm Conference and after

The Environmental Action Plan (EAP)

Institutional problems and issues

The implementation of the Environmental Action Plan

Conclusion

References

The environmental impact and sustainability of plantations in Sub-Saharan Africa: Ghana's experiences with oil-palm plantations

(introduction...)

Introduction

Overview of the plantation system in the Sub-Sahara

The evolution of plantations in Ghana

The positive impacts of the plantations

Adverse environmental impacts and sustainability

Conclusion

References

Contributors

Early developments

In Ghana, concern about the land and environmental degradation has been expressed since the early decades of the twentieth century, notably since the 1930s (Agyepong 1987; Benneh et al. 1990). Legislation to protect specific aspects and components of the land were put in place in the early years of the century. For instance, in 1901, the Wild Animals Preservation Ordinance was passed, followed by the Rivers Ordinance in 1903. Forest reservation was initiated in 1907, followed a year later by the establishment of the Forestry Department. The Mining Rights Regulations Ordinance was introduced in 1925. Severe degradational problems in the northern savannas led to the institution of land planning and soil erosion measures in those areas. These introduced conservational practices in the agricultural use of land, water, and grazing resources. Planning and execution involved the Departments of Agriculture and Forestry and the local people. The Land Planning and Soil Erosion Ordinance was passed in 1953, and amended in 1957, to create permanent committees of the areas designated for planning (Benneh 1985).

The institutional arrangements that have developed over the years charge government departments or committees with responsibility for specific resources. This was the case with the Forestry Department and the Geological Survey Department. The Land Survey Department was established in 1919, the Soil Survey Division, now the Soil Research Institute, came into existence in 1947, and the Game and Wildlife Department was established in 1961. Between the early 1950s and the beginning of the 1970s, several enactments empowered various official agencies to exercise executive responsibilities as far as the care and protection of the environment and resources were concerned. In addition, a number of research institutes were established. The responsibilities for environmental resources were therefore widely distributed, with no one agency having an oversight of the wider environment or significant portions of it.

This sectoral arrangement of institutional responsibilities has been characteristic of the management of the environment and resources in the country. Twenty-two departments, commissions, corporations, and institutes have been identified in Ghana as having responsibility for land and other resources management (Benneh et al. 1990). Responsibilities range from policy formulation, survey and evaluation, planning, production, conservation, research, and training to monitoring.

The problems of achieving an ecologically and environmentally comprehensive perspective on resources and the resource processes in these circumstances are many and have impeded optimal management.