14 research outputs found
Daily maximum and minimum dry-bulb air temperatures measured inside homes, work places and other public spaces in Accra and Tamale, Ghana
No full textDaily maximum and minimum dry-bulb air temperatures measured inside homes, work places and other public spaces in Accra and Tamale, Ghana.Principal Investigator: Professor Katherine V. Gough, Loughborough UniversityCo-Investigators: Professor Paula Griffiths, Loughborough University; Professor Robert Wilby, Loughborough University; Professor Samuel Nii Ardey Codjoe, University of Ghana; Professor Paul William Kojo Yankson, University of Ghana; Dr Sam Kayaga, Loughborough University; Dr Raymond Kasei, University for Development Studies© the authors</p
Migration in the Volta Delta : a review of the literature
No full textThis working paper covers dominant migration patterns in Ghana at the national level along with a literature review of existing research related to migration specifically to the Volta Delta region. Typical of many migration patterns, people in the Volta Delta have livelihoods dependent on land resources (farms and fisheries) and tend to migrate to other rural areas that can support their skills. The paper includes characteristics of those who stay, migrant networks, remittances and return migrant flows. There is a long tradition of migration in Ghana
Internal migration in Ghana : determinants and welfare impacts
No full textUsing a recently compiled dataset on migration and remittances in Ghana, this paper estimates the determinants of an individual’s likelihood to be an internal migrant and the relationship between internal migration and welfare. The analysis finds that the likelihood to migrate is determined by a combination of individual (pull) and community-level (push) characteristics. The probability of migration is higher for younger and more educated individuals, but communities with higher levels of literacy, higher rates of subsidized medical care, and better access to water and sanitation are less likely to produce migrants. The analysis finds that households with migrants tend to be better off than similar households without migrants, even after controlling for the fact that households with migrants are a non-random sample of Ghanaians. However, the positive relationship is only true for households with at least one migrant in urban areas; the welfare of households with migrants exclusively in rural areas is no different from households without any migrants.Population Policies,Anthropology,Gender and Development,Remittances,Voluntary and Involuntary Resettlement
Long-Term Evaluation of the Operational Performance of Fixed Time Ramp Metering Control Strategy: A Freeway Corridor Study
No full textRamp metering is one of the successful active traffic control strategies to control traffic flow at entry points to freeways. This study evaluates the effectiveness of fixed-time ramp metering control strategy on the day-to-day operation of traffic over two segments (easternmost and westernmost) of the I-12 corridor in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Detector speeds and volumes were collected over 11 months and used to generate three performance measures, speed, travel time, and level of service to compare traffic conditions before and after the deployment of ramp meters. Comparative analysis, comprising statistical analysis, analysis of travel time savings, and level of service were then undertaken for traffic conditions before and after ramp meters installation. Overall, the results show some improvements in traffic conditions in the eastbound direction of the westernmost segment; however, the conditions slightly deteriorated on the westbound of the same segment. For the easternmost segment of I-12, no improvement was detected.The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the pdf file of the accepted manuscript may differ slightly from what is displayed on the item page. The information in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript reflects the original submission by the author
Data_Sheet_1_Towards Digital Segregation? Problematizing the Haves and Have Nots in the Smart City.docx
No full textScholars, policymakers, and issue advocates have long pointed to the digital divide and systemic injustices that pervade designs for the smart city. For many, this debate centers around the “haves” and “have nots” and the differences between those social groups. This research problematizes that binary classification and articulates a more nuanced set of social groups. Evidence from surveys and participant observations suggest that the smart city is further segregating urban residents along socio-economic lines. While some users will reap financial and social rewards from digital commerce, recreation and social life, others will be preyed upon, victimized or excluded. This will privilege a small group of elites and allow them to perpetuate digital segregation in the smart city. We close we a discussion on how to create pathways for greater inclusion and community-based governance.</p
Listening to the voices of Year 13 Māori students: A case study in a New Zealand secondary school
No full textThis research focuses on listening to the voices of Year 13 academically successful Māori students in a large, urban, mainstream, co-educational, decile 4, New Zealand secondary school. Traditionally, researchers have tended to emphasise the poor academic performance of Māori students in New Zealand. In contrast, this qualitative case study, however, seeks to understand what influences and motivates the academically successful Year 13 Māori students who have gained the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 2 and who returned to school to study for NCEA Level 3.
Semi structured interviews as conversations with all thirteen Māori students who had achieved NCEA Level 2 formed the basis of this research. Five of their parents, seven of their teachers and the principal were also interviewed.
The findings show that these students all stress the importance of their family, in particular, one family member or significant adult in their lives who valued education and supported the student, influencing and encouraging their motivation and self-efficacy. Building positive relationships with their teachers was the next strongest influence on their academic success followed closely by the positive influence of their friends. Self-motivation was mainly extrinsic. The students perceived that the principal had little effect on their individual achievement.
The teachers also acknowledge the importance of building positive relationships with their students and acknowledge the benefits of the reflective practice provided by the Te Kotahitanga project in highlighting this factor.
The findings suggest the excellent initiatives currently taking place in the school need to be continued or strengthened and that further interventions which target particular Māori students, rather than are global across the school, should be introduced
Vulnerability to extreme weather events in cities: implications for infrastructure and livelihoods
No full textMany cities in the Global South are facing challenges as they increasingly experience extreme weather events, which disproportionately affect the urban poor. Focussing on severe heat and surface water flooding, this paper explores how these extreme weather events impact on infrastructure provision and livelihoods in low- income urban communities in Ghana. Climate series, including temperature data recorded in people’s homes and workplaces, are linked to qualitative interview data collected in eight neighbourhoods within the cities of Accra and Tamale during 2018. Additional evidence was obtained through key informant interviews with health service, water and electricity supply officials. The paper demonstrates that extreme heat and flooding events are causing disruptions to infrastructure provision and impacting vulnerable populations through loss of goods and property, reduced incomes, restricted mobility, and poorer health, alongside interrupted and increasingly overstretched services. The paper concludes that improved understanding of the climate–infrastructure–livelihoods nexus can reveal entry points for adaptations that reduce the vulnerability of low-income communities to extreme weather events in cities
Cities and extreme weather events: impacts of flooding and extreme heat on water and electricity services in Ghana
No full textExtreme weather events disproportionately affect residents of low-income urban settlements in the Global South. This paper explores the impact of extreme heat and flooding on water and electricity services in Accra and Tamale, Ghana. Interviews with water/electricity providers and water quality analysis are combined with household interviews, focus group discussions and observations conducted in eight low-income urban settlements. The findings highlight the interconnected nature of service provision during extreme weather events, with challenges in one sector reinforcing problems in another, exacerbating difficulties with access. Although households can utilise rainwater during flooding, it is highly susceptible to faecal contamination, and electricity supplies are often disconnected. During extreme heat, demand for water and electricity outstrips supply, leading to severe shortages, especially in Tamale. Water and electricity service providers should consider their interconnected nature and adopt a joined-up approach to cope with extreme weather events, which are predicted to increase with climate chang
Vulnerability to extreme weather events in cities: implications for infrastructure and livelihoods
No full textMany cities in the Global South are facing challenges as they increasingly experience extreme weather events, which disproportionately affect the urban poor. Focussing on severe heat and surface water flooding, this paper explores how these extreme weather events impact on infrastructure provision and livelihoods in low- income urban communities in Ghana. Climate series, including temperature data recorded in people’s homes and workplaces, are linked to qualitative interview data collected in eight neighbourhoods within the cities of Accra and Tamale during 2018. Additional evidence was obtained through key informant interviews with health service, water and electricity supply officials. The paper demonstrates that extreme heat and flooding events are causing disruptions to infrastructure provision and impacting vulnerable populations through loss of goods and property, reduced incomes, restricted mobility, and poorer health, alongside interrupted and increasingly overstretched services. The paper concludes that improved understanding of the climate–infrastructure–livelihoods nexus can reveal entry points for adaptations that reduce the vulnerability of low-income communities to extreme weather events in cities
Monitoring and moderating extreme indoor temperatures in low-income urban communities
No full textClimate change presents significant threats to human health, especially for low income urban communities in the Global South. Despite numerous studies of heat stress, surprisingly little is known about the temperatures actually encountered by people in their homes, or the benefits of affordable adaptations. This paper examines indoor air temperature measurements gathered from 47 living rooms within eight low-income communities of Accra and Tamale, Ghana. Using multiple temperature indices and a tiered analysis, we evaluate indoor temperature variations linked to roof type, ceiling insulation, presence of fans, and tree shade, for different housing types and locations. Our data reveal indoor temperatures in the range 22.4 °C to 45.9 °C for Accra, and 22.2 °C to 43.0 °C in Tamale. Using dummy regression analysis, we find that tree shade reduces the number of very hot days (>40 °C) and nights (>30 °C) by about 12 and 15 days per year, respectively. Building materials also strongly moderate indoor temperatures but in opposing ways: rooms with traditional mud walls and thatch roofs are on average 4.5 °C cooler than rooms in concrete block houses with uninsulated metal roofs during the day but are 1.5 °C warmer at night; rooms with ceiling insulation are on average 6.9 °C cooler in the day but 1.4 °C warmer at night. We conclude that sub-daily data are necessary for reporting extreme indoor temperatures, and that trade-offs between minimum and maximum temperatures require interventions to be assessed carefully before attempting to counter extreme heat inside homes. </div
