PROPOSED/ON-GOING RESEARCH IN GHANA                                                       

1. Training Women to Operate Domestic Compost Systems for Economic Benefit and Solid Waste Quantity Reduction in Ghana.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL (Click on the link to view full document).

Solid waste management in developing countries such as Ghana has to be made more efficient if the concept of sustainable development will have meaning in the face of growing populations. Agricultural concepts and systems such as composting can help reduce the volume of solid waste generated in developing countries while simultaneously augmenting small-scale agricultural productivity.

Waste management systems must undergo a considerable revolution to involve the female gender as a remedial step to improving waste management efficiencies to meet the demands of growing complexities of waste generation in low-income economies.  This is because women and children have a lot to do with waste in homes. They perform practically all the household chores and can contribute significantly to its reduction, particularly the domestic waste.  It is a general observation that the capacity and skill of women through feminization have not been exploited to full advantage in Ghana due in large part to cultural, educational, religious and other barriers. This project seeks to draw on the involvement of women in waste management so as to harness their diverse values and skills in improving waste management efficiencies.

The study will proceed in pilots, involving 5 city centers in Ghana, the outcome of which would be used to advocate for female participation in waste management decisions and program implementation in a larger dimension. Participatory approaches will be employed to train the sampled female population on how to construct, operate and manage a simple home-based compost plant that can easily be constructed using local materials. These compost products have economic value for both direct use in gardens and as an agricultural commodity for sale to others. Videotapes and other educational materials such as brochures, bookmarks and posters would be produced of the processes of construction, operation and management of a simple home-based compost technology for subsequent dissemination of the project findings. We will run the vide-tapes as documentaries in national TV stations for a wider audience. This research proposal is organized into sections (1-8), comprising a background to the project, aim and objectives, justification, implementation, time frame of the project, budgetary requirements and references.

2. Improving Crisis Response Efficiencies-The Element of Affected Population Involvement in Decision-Making Process (Proposed).

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH PROPOSAL (Click on the link to view full document).

It is estimated that Complex Emergencies afflict some 20-40 million refugees and internally displaced people around the world. These are as a result of conflicts and natural disasters or environmental crises. Also, HIV/AIDS will have a substantial negative impact on a number of countries and according to latest estimates. Sub-Saharan Africa has 24.5 million of the 34.3 million existing cases (or 70%) world wide, and 12.1 million of a total of 13.2 million AIDS orphans. These are the emergencies that may take us some decades to manage and the fact that victims tend to be working adults in their prime amplifies the tragic human impact of the disease, which may likely depress growth.

The importance of Complex Emergencies has increased dramatically over the last few years and particularly so in low-income economies. This study considers a tripartite approach to consensus building with respect to discovering and implementing long-term strategies in managing Complex Emergencies.