The ESIG Core Course -- "Human Ecology of Ghana"

Note: preliminary draft of curriculum only. This document may change with time.

I. INTRODUCTION

UNITS

1. Ecology
2. Geography
3. Human Settlement
4. People
5. History
6. Language
7. World wide view
8. Utilisation of food, and food security
9. Health and healing
10. Social organisation
11. Gender relations
12. The Economy
13. Politics
14. The arts

II. ENVIRONMENT AND DEVELOPMENT IN GHANA &endash; HISTORY, POLICY & THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES

UNITS

1. Historical perspectives on the environment & Environmental policy Issues in Ghana
2. Environmental laws of Ghana
3. Institutional arrangements
4. Participation &endash; Innovations & initiatives

III. BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEMS

UNITS

1. Soils and geomorphology
2. Ecology and climate
3. Flora
4. Fauna
5. Water systems of Ghana- inland and marine non traditional forests projects- will look at interesting issues such as Akrantee (bush meat); chewing stick; mushrooms

IV. POPULATION, HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT

UNITS

1. Demographic dynamics of - migration, urbanisation, ecological footprint
2. Knowledge systems, acquisition, transmission- epistemological issues, ethno-ecology
3. Disease- water related; non-water related -- special issues: Buruli ulcer, cancer, TB, CSM)
4. HIV/ AIDS
5. Health delivery systems
6. Gender Issues & the environment

V. LAND USE AND RESOURCE UTILISATION

UNITS

1. Land tenure systems, sustainability, degradation
2. Agriculture systems &endash; irrigation; fisheries
3. Forestry (Agroforestry)
4. Mining
5. Human settlement, development, manufacturing & Industrial Processing
6. Biodiversity use
7. Transportation systems

VI. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT [KNUST]

UNITS

1. The built environment
2. Urban sprawl & management
3. Domestic, municipal and industrial waste management, solid waste, liquid waste sanitation, recycling (self recycling)
4. Water resource management
5. Forest resource management
6. Fish Resources
7. Land use management
8. Environmental Impacts
9. Disaster management (Flooding; Desertification; Seismic&)
10. Knowledge of the environment -- beliefs and practices, traditional techniques.
11. Environmental Management systems
12. Tourism (Eco-tourism, Local and international)

VII. POLLUTION

UNITS

1. Water (Rivers; lakes; Ground water; surface water)
2. Air quality
3. Soil quality
4. Visual
5. Acoustic

VIII. ENERGY [KNUST]

UNITS

1. Types
2. Sources
3. Activity and use patterns
4. Costs of energy utilisation, rural electrification
5. Environmental impacts of energy, global warming

***

Each of the modules wiill seek to incorporate:

• Global issues
• Sub regional issues
• National issues
• Special concerns re. Northern Savannah - Dry
• Special concerns re. Forest - Humid
• Special concerns re. Coastal Savannah
• Community level issues
• Rural
• Peri - urban
• Urban - Metropolitan
• Local level
• Gender relations/transformations

List Of Possible Case Studies in Human Ecology of Ghana core course (2-3 will be chosen for the first year, later we hope to incorporate 3 or 4):

• Weija Catchment [dam; problems of water quality ]
• Apollonia Biogas [community project initially gone wrong because of poor planning & assumptions; community not involved]
• Gambaga goldmine [Northern Ghana]
• New Suhum area &endash; Cocoa farming area
• Mining [gold] &endash; Tarkwa [state/international mining companies/community conflicts; environmental degradation]
• Sand winning &endash; Dodowa [poverty/health concerns of communities and workers]
• Bui Dam
• Accra Waste Management &endash; Accra Metropolitan Authority [poor sanitation in parts of Accra; politicisation of AMA]
• AMEHI project
• Lake Bosumtwi &endash; Ashanti region [aesthetic site; fishing; community development; tourism]
• CEMIS (Community based management information system; La, Accra)
• Boabeng-Fiemang monkey sanctuary - Techiman
• Volta lake resettlement - Makango
• Lower Volta Communities - Sogakofe, Bator [impacts of those who did not move for the building of the Akosombo dam]
• Lakeside dwellings - Dzemeni
• Sacred Groves - Pokuase
• Keta Sea Defence Project [severe erosion/political impropriety]
• Songor lagoon &endash; Ada [salt mining -- state/community conflict; issues of ethnic identity]
• Ramsar Site Management
• ACID project - Western region
• Swami Magazine - Ashanti region [very interesting and creative local engineering developments; urban environmental issues vs. state perspectives]

   

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last updated 11/15/01