Simon Bawakyillenuo

Local institutions and adaptive capacity to climate change/variability in the northern savannah of Ghana

Ghana faces several challenges from climate change/variability. Local institutions provide the framework within which idiosyncratic capacities of local people can be exercised in their adaptation to climate change. This paper examines the importance of formal and informal institutions for building adaptive capacity. Both formal and informal institutions play different but complementary roles in enabling or preventing the ability to cope, benefit and adapt to climate change. Responses to climate change in northern Ghana are dependent on the nature of institutions that grant people access to resources; define their exposure to climate threats; and dictate the rate of recovery from debilitating disasters. The effectiveness of institutions is constrained by their limited spatial and temporal reach, limited financial and human resources, and sometimes the faulty strategy designs and implementation procedures. Traditional institutions may malfunction when modern interpretations of tradition are in the interests of custodians of tradition rather than the ordinary poor. We emphasize the need for synergy between institutions that support adaptive capacities of the poor, and request corrective measures to institutions that lead to maladaptation.

Exploring the autonomous adaptation strategies to climate change and climate variability in selected villages in the rural northern savannah zone of Ghana

Evidence abounds attesting to changes in the global climate. In Ghana, climate change and climate variability have brought several exposure-sensitivities on different people and at different times. Due to the multiplicity of climate change and climate variability effects, adaptation strategies invariably could be influenced by several factors. This paper assesses the adoption of adaptation strategies in the rural northern savannah zone of Ghana as a result of climate change and variability. Using two villages each from Savelugu Nanton, West Mamprusi and Kassena Nankana East Districts, which are slightly different as case studies, the paper unearthed panoply of varied adaptation strategies in each of them including intensification of irrigation; integration of livestock production; changes in tillage practices; fertiliser application on farms; shift from agriculture to non-farm jobs; seasonal migration and purchase of drought insurance for maize. The results indicate that the relativity in adoption and utilisation of the different adaptive strategies are interlinked with geographical, social, economic, institutional and political factors and processes in the villages. The findings drum home the essentiality of location-specific planned adaptation strategies for climate change through a bottom-up approach, in order to ensure their effectiveness and sustainability.

Effective Government Policy and Institutional Frameworks: Pivots for the Dissemination and Sustainability of Solar PV in Rural Areas in the Developing World: The Case of Ghana

The integration of solar PV into rural electrification programmes in the developing world has brought in its wake dissemination/adoption and sustainability challenges. In looking for ways that can enhance the wider dissemination of the technology in the developing world, some authors (e.g. Philips and Browne, 1999; Hankins, 2000) have advocated the greater involvement of the private sector. While the private sector could well play a role in the PV dissemination drive, this paper by contrast argues that effective government institutional and policy frameworks are the most pivotal elements in the drive to disseminate solar PV systems to the majority of the rural poor in the developing world, and to sustain them. Using two case studies, the paper contextualises the interrelationship between ineffective government institutional and policy frameworks and the low level of solar PV dissemination in rural Ghana as well as the lack of sustainability of PV projects.

An Assessment of Determinants of Adaptive Capacity to Climate Change/Variability in the Rural Savannah of Ghana

The varied stressors posed by climate change and variability to the livelihoods of agrarian societies in many developing countries call for an examination of the determinants of adaptive capacity. Data collected through a questionnaire survey, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, is used to explain the determinants of adoption of five major adaptation strategies. The analysis reveals that while adaptive capacity in the northern savannah zone is generally low due to high levels of poverty and poor state presence, it varies spatially resulting from locational, individual and community socio-economic and institutional factors. Adaptive capacities are rooted in the nature of household and community assets as well as societal rules and policies. Both community level factors and characteristics of individual farmers condition the idiosyncratic variables defining the capacities to adopt specific adaptation strategies to climate change threats. Important farmer characteristics that determine critical adaptation strategies in the northern savannah include age, sex, assets, family size, size and type of land, skills/education, and perception of climatic changes. This paper recommends that local resilience building mechanisms be scaled up while modern mechanisms should be introduced for dealing with the impacts of climate change.

Local farmers’ experiences and perceptions of climate change in the Northern Savannah zone of Ghana

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the perceptions and experiences of climate change by local farmers in the Northern Savannah zone of Ghana. Although recent scholarship shows that local people’s perceptions of climate change is necessary for devising strategies to deal with the problem, only a few researchers have examined local knowledge of climate change in Africa. Design/methodology/approach – Primary data were collected from six rural communities in the Northern Savannah zone of Ghana, using a questionnaire survey on a sample of 530 farmers, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions. Multinomial logistic regression was used to analyse variations in experience and perception of climate change. Findings – A majority of the farmers have noticed rising temperatures and declining rainfall. Their observations largely correspond with the evidence of changes recorded by weather monitoring stations. The perception of climate change is associated with locality of residence, gender and ownership of radi...

Sustainable Energy Transitions in Sub-Saharan African Cities: The Role of Local Government

Abstract Sub-Saharan Africa is urbanizing fast, and by 2040 the population of the subcontinent is expected to be predominantly urban, placing a vastly increased burden on urban governance. Energy futures modeling indicates that 75% of energy demand will be urban by 2040. By implication, energy transitions will be increasingly linked to urban governance in the future. Without substantial support, governance capacity is unlikely to be able to rise to emerging energy challenges, which could erode the welfare of citizens as well as the achievement of global and national ambitions around sustainable energy as espoused by Sustainable Development Goal 7, covering renewable energy, energy efficiency, and access to modern energy. This paper provides an overview of selected energy research cases in urban Sub-Saharan Africa, including the results of energy futures modeling, to help highlight the emerging urban sustainable energy challenges. It further explores the energy-related mandates of local vis-a-vis national governments, looks at areas where urban renewable energy can be promoted, and discusses important elements to accelerate the transition to sustainable energy, in particular the capacity support requirements.

Application of theory of planned behaviour to households’ source separation behaviour in Ghana

The purpose of this paper is to examine the factors that encourage households’ source separation behaviour in Accra and Tamale Metropolises in Ghana.,Using a cross-sectional design, 855 households of Ghana were interviewed based on the theoretical framework of the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). The ordered probit regression model was employed to examine the factors that influence households’ source separation intention.,The results indicated that educational attainment of head of household, total income of household, occupation type of household head, information, past experience with source separation, inconvenience in terms of time, space and availability of formal source separation scheme, attitude, subjective norm and the location of the respondents significantly predicted households’ solid waste separation intentions.,The cross-sectional design does not determine causality but an association. Thus, future studies should examine actual household waste separation behaviour by using the experimental design to test the TPB model.,To promote solid waste separation at source, the public should be educated and provided with solid waste separation schemes that are efficient and compatible with households’ preference.,This study was partly motivated by the fact that despite the benefits associated with source separation, little attention has been given to formal source separation in Ghana. Moreover, there are limited studies on source separation behaviour in Ghana using the TPB as the theoretical framework.

Exploring the Macroeconomic Impacts of Low-Carbon Energy Transitions: A Simulation Analysis for Kenya and Ghana

The study applies purpose-built dynamic computable general equilibrium models for Kenya and Ghana with a disaggregated country‑specific representation of the power sector, to simulate the prospective medium-run growth and distributional implications associated with a shift towards a higher share of renewables in the power mix, up to 2025. In both countries, the share of fossil fuel-based thermal electricity generation in the power mix will increase sharply over the next decade and beyond according to current national energy sector development plans. The overarching general message suggested by the simulation results is that in both countries it appears feasible to reduce the carbon content of electricity generation significantly without adverse consequences for economic growth and without noteworthy distributional effects.

Introduction: Overcoming the Constraints to Clean Electricity in Africa

The phenomenon of inadequate power supply in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has been a subject of great interest over the years because of its intractable nature and its importance for development; SSA accommodates about 55 per cent of the more than one billion people without access to electricity globally. Moreover, in many SSA countries, electricity access rates are decreasing because electrification efforts are slower than population growth. In recent years, however, certain SSA countries have demonstrated that with political will and access to appropriate finance, electricity access can be accelerated. The overwhelming calls for clean (green) energy sources into the energy mix cannot be overemphasised. Drawing from different disciplines, this IDS Bulletin provides new perspectives that go beyond the identification of obstacles to renewable energy development in SSA. The contents of these contributions underscore the complexity surrounding the clean electrification challenge in SSA; and demonstrate the benefits of a multidisciplinary approach in the design of interventions.

The Political Economy of Renewable Energy Investment in Ghana

The high level of fossil fuel consumption globally is wreaking havoc on the global climate through the emissions of greenhouse gases. Against this backdrop, there have been calls from national and international stakeholders for a transition towards renewable energy (RE). However, the investment and adoption of renewable energy technologies especially, in developing countries have been woefully inadequate. Even though various policy and legislative instruments in support of RE development abound in Ghana, the contribution of RE to the energy generation mix is notably insignificant, due to constraints that limit high investment. Using the Political Economy Analysis (PEA) approach, this article examines the deficiencies in these policy strategies, and unravels the complexity as well as the alignments of interests of stakeholders regarding policies that could provide a more favourable investment in renewables in Ghana. The article recommends that Ghana’s leaders champion those policies with the highest support across all stakeholders.