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: The Environmental Action Plan (EAP)

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

The Environmental Action Plan (EAP)

Beginning in the early 1980s, especially following a severe drought in 1983 that affected the whole country and resulted in widespread bush fires, the protectionist and sector-oriented approach to environmental management with limited scope began to change as the state of the natural resource base deteriorated rapidly and began to pose a problem for the future prospects of development. The EPC initiated and led the way in the preparation of a number of plans and programmes, including the National Oil Spill Contingency Plan (1985), the National Plan of Action to Combat Desertification (1986), the Draft National Conservation Strategy (1987), and the National Environmental Protection Programme (1987). The new approach was aided by the launching of the World Conservation Strategy in 1980 by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) in which the term "sustainable development" was used.

One major principle of sustainable development was to provide a framework for integrating development and conservation, in terms of laws, institutions, and policies. Following on these developments, one of the specialized committees of the EPC, the Natural Ecosystems Committee, initiated moves in 1986 to prepare a National Conservation Strategy for Ghana. To do this a national conference on the theme "Resource Conservation for Ghana's Sustainable Development" was organized in 1987. The conference brought together scientists, planners, economists, and decision makers to discuss how Ghana's development could be made sustainable. After the conference, the ideas gathered were to be used for the preparation of the National Conservation Strategy.

During this period the country had embarked on its Economic Recovery Programme (ERP), beginning in 1983, to reverse the economic decline of the country. The key factors accounting for the initial achievements of the ERP included the exploitation of the natural resource systems of the country. The environmental degradation that accompanied the economic growth and exploitation of the natural resources imposed costs on the economy of the country. This led the government to direct the EPC in March 1988 to set up a "think tank" "to develop environmental issues for incorporation into the second phase of the ERP." The work of the "think tank" was followed by the setting up of sectoral working groups on land, forestry and wildlife, water management, marine and coastal ecosystems, mining, manufacturing industries, and hazardous chemicals, and human settlements to address in detail the issues identified in the think tank's report and the proceedings of the 1987 national conference. These, together with the issues identified during a series of regional and district forums on the environment in 1987, led to the preparation of an Environmental Action Plan (EAP) for Ghana (EPC 1991), which was to address the nation's environmental problems in a comprehensive and integrated manner. It was to provide a technical, institutional, and legal framework for dealing with the problems of land and water degradation, diminishing forest and wildlife resources, and problems associated with mineral extraction and other industrial activities (fig. 17.1).

The concept of sustainable development runs through the Plan, which integrates the previous ad hoc programmes, which were sectoral in nature, into a comprehensive strategy addressing all issues of concern not only to Ghanaians but also to the international environmental movement at large. The Plan seeks to redirect national development into more environmentally sustainable programmes and practices through the following:

� the protection and preservation of the resource base;
� prior assessment of the potential environmental impacts of development projects;
� alternative or multi-purpose uses of land and water resources;
� the promotion of popular participation in planning, evaluating, and implementing environmental and development strategies.

The Plan sets out an environmental policy for Ghana and makes the attainment of a high-quality environment a key element in the country's economic and social development. It also provides guidance and sets out an action-oriented strategy that specifies the role of sectoral ministries, agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and indeed of every Ghanaian in its implementation. It is recognized that the realization of the objectives in the EAP and the national environmental policy can be attained only through collaboration and cooperation among institutions with responsibility for various aspects of resource management and environmental protection.

Fig. 17.1 An integrative institutional framework for environmental management and policy (Source: EPC 1991)