Browsing by Author "Onwona-Hwesofour Asante, Kwaku"
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Item Enhancing Extractive Resource Governance in Ghana and Nigeria under Fragmented Policy Landscape and Limited Resource Scenarios: Insight from the Barrow Framework(International Journal of Innovative Research & Development, 2021-02) Onwona-Hwesofour Asante, Kwaku; Abugri, Simon; Derky, Nana Sarfo AgyemangPolicy coherence is key to ensuring that the wellbeing of society is achieved within an environment that guarantees sustainable production and consumption patterns. From a conceptual lens of the Barrow Framework, we examine governance lapses in extractive resource governance and explore mechanisms for integrating policy coherence, environmental sustainability and strengthening governance arrangements in Ghana and Nigeria. The Barrow Framework’s Index Score (BAR-X) employs Multi-Criteria Decision-Making analysis in a focus group discussion and Policy Coherence Analysis to identify policy gaps and prioritize institutions, socioeconomic and environmental themes. Policy coherence analysis of Ghana and Nigeria from the BAR-X showed an overall performance of 34 % and 30 % respectively falling far below the minimum expected score of 80 %. We demonstrate that resource governance policies of Ghana and Nigeria do not adequately address the tripod of institutional efforts, developmental load and the biospherical pivot. Under extremely limited resource conditions, it is recommended that civil society/non-profit organisations, financial institutions and regional institutions are supported with proceeds from extractive resources to particularly promote agroecology, technology and innovation towards maintaining ecological balance through preservation, protection, conservation and the reduction of ecological and carbon footprints.Item Gypsum amendment and seasonal variability: effect on soil quality, fruit characteristics and toxicological responses of Cucumber (Cucumis sativus l.) in the Ahafo-Kenyasi Mining Area of Ghana(World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 2021-03) Onwona-Hwesofour Asante, Kwaku; Abugri, Simon; Derkyi, Nana Sarfo AgyemangDepending on soil, climate and crop characteristics exposed subsoils can be amended with gypsum for agricultural activities when topsoil is inadequate as a result of natural and geophysical activities. To determine how exposed subsoil amendment with gypsum interact with weather patterns to influence soil chemical properties, cucumber growth, fruit characteristics and heavy metal concentration, a two-seasonal experiment was conducted in the major and minor rainy season of 2020 in the Ahafo-Kenyasi Mining Area in Ghana. The experiment was laid out as a 6x2 factorial arranged in randomized complete block design, consisting of 6 gypsum application rates (20 ton/ha, 40 ton/ha, 60 ton/ha, 80 ton/ha, 0 ton/ha (subsoil control) and 0 ton/ha (topsoil control)) in two rainy seasons and replicated three times. The results show that gypsum application and rainy seasons interact to significantly influence soil chemical properties, cucumber growth and fruit characteristics. Increasing gypsum application resulted in decreased organic carbon, increased calcium, increased available P, increased exchangeable magnesium (Mg), increased pH during both major and minor rainy seasons. Vine length, number of leaves, number of fruits per plant and fruit weight of cucumber were increased with increasing gypsum application during the minor rainy season. In spite of exceeding permissible limits in soils and crops, arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and mercury (Hg) showed similar concentrations (below 2 mg/kg) in cucumber during the minor and major rainy seasons across gypsum treatments. Lead (Pb) concentration in cucumber was significantly higher in the major season across treatments. There was no difference in lead (Pb) concentration for treated vs untreated, and no increase across the amendment range. Further studies on how heavy metals in soil and plants interact with plant phytochemicals in ecosystems and living tissues are recommended