A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Johannesburg, 2013 / Deforestation is a growing environmental concern in tropical areas of the world where it is believed that the increase in human population and associated land use practices are the key drivers of this land cover change transition. This research tests these hypotheses in the Ho Municipality of Ghana and aims to predict future land cover change by assessing remote sensing images and considering the complex interrelationships and synergies of multiple driving forces. The study specifically examines how multiple driving forces of land cover change transition have contributed to the accelerating pace of deforestation in the last 25 years based on observed trends in land use and remotely sensed land cover change data. The study looks at the future prospects for Ghana’s forests. The field study was carried out in four settlements of the Ho Municipality namely Wumenu, Agbokofe, Abutia Kloe and Takla. The data collection was done using structured questionnaires administered to 376 households to investigate their opinions regarding the driving forces of deforestation in the area. The analysis of questionnaire data involved the use of descriptive statistics and factor analysis using the Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS) software. Satellite images comprising, Landsat MSS 1975, Landsat TM 1991 and Landsat ETM+ 2001 were classified using the maximum likelihood algorithm supervised classification to determine the extent and nature of vegetation cover change and to assess the potential of using a Markov model to predict the future state of forest cover. The research concludes that the municipality lost forest cover from 1975 to 2001 based on satellite and questionnaire data analysis which suggests that the following are the key underlying drivers of deforestation: demographic pressure, poverty, institutional factors, policies, technology and attitudes. Proximate drivers of deforestation are agricultural expansion, illegal logging and wood energy exploitation. The Markov models showed that in the next 25 years various probabilities of change are possible, such as no change in forest cover, forest cover loss and some probabilities of increase in forest cover. These predictions illustrate the need to study the complex driving forces of change to interpret models that are solely based on past land use change transition. Based on the results of the household surveys, current drivers are unlikely to change. Land use planners should thus be aware that deforestation in Ghana is most likely going to continue. On the basis of these findings the following recommendations have been made. There is a need to intensify tree planting activities in the municipality to increase forest cover. Planting of fast maturing trees for woodlots will reduce pressure on the forest for wood energy. Public education on the advantages of family planning should be undertaken by the Municipal Assembly and NGOs working in the area to reduce population pressure on forests. Poverty reduction strategies should focus on alternative livelihood opportunities to divert attention from forest goods while also increasing the protection of remaining forests. Lastly, community participative approaches to forest management could mitigate both underlying and proximate causes of deforestation.

In June 1999, I was a volunteer for a United States non-governmental organization, Crossroads Africa. I joined six other American women traveling to Ghana, West Africa to participate in a collaborative program designed by the Ghana Red Cross Society and Crossroads Africa. Specifically our group was assigned to work on a Women in Development (WID) project with three rural women's collectives, "Mothers Clubs," assisting them with income-generating projects in the Volta Region of Ghana. The projects varied among the villages. hi village one, Anfoeta Tsebi, the women extracted oil from palm fruit and kernels. They sold palm oil at regional markets and used the oil domestically to make stews and soap for washing. In village two, Heffi, Mothers Club members baked bread and processed gari from cassava yarns. In village three, Anyirawase, the women made batiks, tie-dye, beadwork, and woven mats from corn husks. My research objective was to evaluate the role that gender, the WID design, and power played in each project. I also sought to use my observations and the voices of African women to assess the successes and failures of the collaborative program of the Ghana Red Cross and Crossroads Africa. I used participant observation to gather this information. The sample was inclusive of project participants. I found that the womens' collectives provided positive networks of support for members. The women taught our Crossroads volunteers about how they were creating change. The collectives also showed how successful development depends on improving the quality of life for individuals. The women gained skills in leadership and health education, while they improved their economic situation. Women were becoming collectively empowered through their role as active agents for change in their communities. Their hard work, dedication, and widespread recognition of their accomplishments contributed to group empowerment. My findings suggest that the primary obstacles to project success were lack of resources and time and physical exhaustion from an increased workload Poor preparation and training for Crossroads volunteers and their ideological fragmentation prevented effective assistance and collaboration with the Mothers Clubs. One of my recommendations for future improvements is to integrate men into the development process to play a constructive role and minimize their opportunity for unwanted interference. Another recommendation is to encourage Ghana Red Cross leaders to hold seminars for women from different villages to allow for an exchange of knowledge about development projects. Finally, recommend that Crossroads Africa and Ghana Red Cross leaders make a greater effort to collaborate and improve preparation and training for participants. / Graduation date: 2001

Univ., Diss.--Bonn, 2004.

No keywords provided in thesis / The primary objective of this study is to evaluate the curriculum and supplementary materials for the teaching and learning of English in five junior high schools in Ghana to ascertain the extent to which the curriculum promotes academic literacy in the pupils. Hence, five schools were selected by purposive sampling. Four poorly performing schools and a relatively well performing school were selected for the study. Thus, the problem investigated in this study was academic literacy development, with particular reference to English language teaching. The study area was the Ho West district of the Volta Region of Ghana. The study adopted a mixed methods approach which investigated academic literacy development by evaluating the syllabus and textbooks, and by interviewing English teachers in the selected schools. The interview schedule contained both open ended questions for qualitative analysis as well as multiple choice questions based on a four-item Likert scale for quantitative analysis. The study found that the various aspects of the curriculum had shortcomings in adequately supporting the development of academic literacy in the junior high school pupils in Ghana. Moreover, the factors required for critical language awareness were not present in the textbooks. / English Studies / Ph. D. (English)

Univ., Diss.--Bonn, 2004.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / Women living with HIV (WLHIV) desire to bear children. Safe conception (SC) education for informed decision-making to prevent peri-conception HIV infection is needed but not routinely available. Poor SC knowledge, attitude, skills in addition to the absence of a standardised training programme were challenges that limited delivery. This study therefore aimed at developing a training programme for healthcare workers to facilitate SC education among WLHIV. The study adopted the intervention research approach. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed.