Presented by  

Nyameke Isaac, Godwin Achana,Jonas Bugre and Mba Amos University for Development Studies, Wa Campus

Department of Environment and Resource Studies

VENUE: University for Development Studies, WaDATE: 3-5 August, 2011

ACHIEVING MDGs 1&7 IN NORTHERN GHANA: RECOMMENDED METHODOLOGIES

OUTLINE OF PRESENTATION INTRODUCTION

PAST THEORIES AND APPROACHES IN POVERTY ERADICATION

WHY MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS (MDGS)?

METHODOLOGIES FOR MONITORING PROGRESS AND ACHIEVING OF MDGS

ARE MGDS REALISTIC AND ACHIEVABLE?

WHAT IS GHANA’S SUCCESS STORY O?

CAN GHANA ACHIEVE MDGS IN THE THREE NORTHERN REGIONS OF GHANA

ANALYSIS AND DISCUSSIONS

WHAT ROLES SHOULD GEOGRAPHERS PLAY IN ACHIEVING MDGS IN GHANA?

CONCLUSIONS

RECOMMENDATION

INTRODUCTION

In the beginning of mid 1890s to the early part of 1990s, poverty, hunger andenvironmental degradation had become the biggest challenge and threat tothe World. This is due to the world’s increasing population growth and landinfertility coupled with the global climate change. As a result of that, manyscholars and distinguished researchers in World have conducted extensiveresearch and have developed many developmental models and approaches tosolve the problem of poverty and environmental degradation.

The most accepted and recognised models and approaches were those of : Basic need approach by ILO 1976 Incremental model Social needs model Structure Ajustment Progrmme HPIC

Much has been done by these models and approaches to ensure eradicationof poverty and environmental degradation in the world , however, there arestill increasing trends of poverty, hunger and environmental degradation inWorld, especially among the less developed countries. To solve theseproblems of poverty and environmental degradation in the future andmaintain the current standard of living, there have to be twice as muchfood to be grown, twice as many schools to be built and many health carecentres and hospitals.

It is in line with this that many coordinated effort and commitment by theworld leaders have been targeted at reducing extreme poverty and ensureenvironmental sustainability in the world. One of such strategies isMillennium Development Goals(MDGs), eradicating extreme poverty,hunger and ensuring environment sustainability by 2015

INTRODUCTION cont.

Why Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)?

Ten years ago, 189 Heads of State and Governments pledged and committed to worktogether to make a better world by 2015 at the 2000 United Nations MillenniumSummit.

On behalf of their people, the world leaders agreed and signed the MillenniumDeclaration which promises to free: men, women children from dehumanizing condition of extreme poverty and make the right to development areality for everyone (UNDP report 2010).

Eight (8) Millennium Development Goals were adopted, committing rich and poorcountries all over the world to work together in global partnership to eradicate extreme poverty, hunger, ensuring that all boys and girls complete primary school, promote gender equality, improve health care service, reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS, and protect the environment from degradation.

Methodologies using for Monitoring Progress and Achieving of MDGs

Eighteen (18) targets and forty-eight (48) indicators were developed tomeasure the achievement and progress of the eight (8) MillenniumDevelopment Goals

• Goal 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger Ensure that, between 1990 and 2015, the proportion of people whose income is less

than one dollar a day is increased and improve the living standards of those suffering from poverty and hunger.

• Goal 2: Achieve universal primary education Ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere, boys and girls alike, will be able to complete a

full course of primary schooling

• Goal 3: Promote gender equality and empower women Eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education, and in all levels of

education not later than 2015.

Cont

• Goal 4: Reduce child mortality Reduce by two-thirds of under-five mortality rate between 1990 and 2015, • Goal 5: Improve maternal health Reduce maternal mortality ratio and achieve universal access to reproductive health by three

quarters, between 1990 and 2015.

• Goal 6: Combat HIV /AIDS, malaria and other diseases Reverse the spread of HIV/AIDS and achieve universal access to treatment for HIV/AIDS for all

those who need it by 2015. • Goal 7: Ensure environmental sustainability Integrate the principles of sustainable development into policies and programmes, reverse the

loss of environmental resources and improve drinking water sources and sanitation facilities.

• Goal 8: Develop a global partnership for development Develop non-discriminatory trading and financial system includes a commitment to good governance, development and poverty reduction — both nationally and

internationally

Are MGDs Realistic and Achievable?

Since the inception of MDGs in the year 2000, notableprogress has been made even in the poorest countries inless developed countries which Ghana is no exemption (UNDP Report, 2010 and IMF Country Report, 2006).The success stories from various counties show that theMDGs are realistic and achievable

However, progress has not been equitably achievedbetween and within regions and countries. This poses achallenge to some countries in their quest to achieve allof the MDGs by 2015 and Ghana is one of the notablecountries.

Ghana’s success story of MDGs

In 2000, Ghana subscribed voluntarily to the MDGs as a member of the generalcomity of nations. But under the HIPC compact these MDGs were transformedinto the mandatory framework of domestic economic policy in return for thegrant of debt relief. The MDGs are mainstreamed into successive MediumTerm National Development Plans starting with the Ghana Poverty ReductionStrategy (GPRS I) from 2003-2005 to the Growth and Poverty ReductionStrategy (GPRS II) from 2006-2009, to the recently Ghana Shared GrowthDevelopment 2010-2013.

Ghana’s progress and success story towards meeting the MDGs are monitoredon regular basis by independent and non independent bodies such as UNDP,IMF, and Government of Ghana.

The progress towards achieving the MDGs in Ghana is mixed.

MDG 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger

Ghana has made some progress in reducing poverty level. The overall poverty rate has declined from 51.7% in 1991/92to % in 200/2010. child malnutrition:11.4% in 1993 to 5.3% in 2008, underweight 31% in 1988 to 13.9% in 2008.

However, the poverty profiles of the three northernregions of Ghana are still comparatively high as shownin Table 1. The poverty incidence shows that majority ofthe population in the three Northern regions have beenleft behind in terms of extreme poverty reduction.

Poverty Extreme PovertyRegion 1998/99 2005/06 1998/99 2005/06

1 Western 27.3 13.6 13.6 7.9

2 Central 48.4 19.9 31.5 9.73 Greater Accra 15.2 11.8 2.4 6.24 Volta 37.7 31.4 20.4 15.25 Eastern 43.7 15.1 30.4 6.6

6 Ashanti 27.7 20.3 16.4 11.27 Brong Ahafo 35.8 29.5 18.8 14.9

8 Northern 69.2 52.3 57.4 38.79 Upper East 88.2 70.4 79.6 60.110 Upper West 83.9 87.9 68.3 79.0

ALL 39.5 28.5 26.8 18.2

Source: Ghana Statistical Service, Pattern and Trends of Poverty in Ghana, 1991-2006, April 2007.

Table 1: Poverty Incidence by Region

• Goal 2: Achieve Universal Primary Education Ghana is on track to achieve the targets of 100% by 2015. The field data collected in the six districts in

the three Northern Regions show that the increase in basic education was as a result of introduction of school feeding program.

• Goal 3: Promote Gender Equality & Empower WomenData collected from the field survey and Ministry of Women and Children Report (2005) show improvement in gender equality and women empowerment in Ghana. Affirmative Action Policy has been introduced to ensure that 50 % girls and boys get admission in educational institutions in Ghana, however, the progress towards increasing the number of women in parliament suffered a setback with only 8.7% in 2009.

• Goal 4: Reduce Child MortalityThere have been a significant reduction in both infant and under-five mortality rates. However, Ghana is unlikely to meet the 2015 target of reducing the child mortality rates to 53 deaths per 1000 live births unless coverage of effective child survival interventions is increased (Ministry of Health, 2008 and GHS, 2003).

• Also, lack of information on signs of pregnancy complications and access to basic laboratory services, particularly in the Northern and Upper West regions, affect the quality of antenatal care.

• Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases From Ghana Health Service Report, 2008, HIV prevalence rate has declined to 2.2% in 2008

and but increased to 2.9% in 2009. HIV prevalence rate is very low in the Northern Region recording 1.1% as against 4.2 in the Eastern

region

• Goal 7: Ensure Environmental Sustainability

From the data collected from the communities and UNDP reports show that Ghana is not likely to achieve MDG 7 in full.

• using improved drinking water has increased significantly from 56% in 1990 to 83.8% in 2008. • The forest cover has declined from 32.7% to 24.2% between 1990 and 2005 with an average

depletion rate of 1.8%. • The national coverage for improved sanitation has increased from 4% in 1993 to 12.4% in 2008. • Goal 8: Develop Global Partnerships In terms of Global Partnerships for development, aid inflows to Ghana appear to have

increased in nominal terms from US$578.96 million in 2001 to US$1,433.23 million in 2008. However, the current information of Ghana’s public debt as a percentage of GDP has increased from 41.4% in 2006 to 55.2% in 2008, this shows unsustainable level of economic growth.

The three Northern Regions of Ghana

Can Ghana achieve MDGs in the three Northern Regions of Ghana (Upper East, Upper West and Northern Region) based on the ten year success stories?

• In spite of Ghana’s sustainable economic growth from 2000 to 2009, unemployment remains high, especially in the three northern regions which still has a poverty level above 80%.

• Most women and the youth in particular have difficulties finding a secured job, and the few who are employed in the southern part of Ghana mainly occupy low-paying jobs because of their low level of education and inadequate employable skills.

• In attempt to investigate the above problems and provide answers to the question: Ghana can achieve MDGs in the three Northern Regions (Upper West, Upper East and Northern)?

• Twelve (12) communities in six (6) districts in the three Northern Regions were selected for the study as shown as in Table 2

No Region District Communities

1. Northern West Gonja Hange line and Damango

Tolon Kumbungn Kpachi Cheyohi

2. Upper

West

Lambussie Karni Piina Koro

Jirapa Chepuri Oullo

3. Upper

East

Bawku West ZebilaKparabug

Talensi- Nabdam Sekoti Logre

Table 2: The three Northern Regions and communities selected for the study

These communities were selected based 0n 2006 figure as among the poorest communities in the Districts

Analysis

• Out of the 90 respondents, 68% were only farmers, 19% were both petty traders and farmers, 7% were students while 8% were both teachers and farmers. With regards to farmland size, it was difficult for the respondents to mention. This is because most of them farm on different places.

However, it was estimated that, the farmland sizes are small based on their annual yields measured. • Only 24% earn a monthly income between GH¢ 100 to GH¢ 500. Majority of these income earners are

those employed in the civil service and traders. While the farmers only farm to feed their families and sell the left over to buy salt, pepper and other household needs.

• Most of the income receivers were found in the West Gonja District because they mainly engage in some economic activities such as gari processing, bread making and batik/tie and dye. These activities help them to earn extra income apart from their farming. Moreover, the petty traders who sell bean cake and table top food ingredients said they make a profit of GH¢ 0.50pesewas to GH¢1.00 a day and the profit only increases to GH¢2.00 during market days.

• Again Out of the 24% who earns monthly income, only 6% make annual savings between GH¢ 10 to GH¢ 50. • Most of these savings are not kept in a bank, except those who are teachers and receive salaries and wages

from banks. • Majority of the respondent do not save because they depend on the income for a living and other expenses

such children’s school fess and medical care. With regards to the bean cake makers and petty traders, they said GH¢ 0.50 to GH¢ 1.50 profit made is used to support household meals by buying salts and pepper.

• With reference to easy access to water and sanitation facilities, all the twelve communities visited, 31% have between 1-3 boreholes and these communities were mostly found in Upper West. This may be due to the high water table level in the region. The rest of the communities depend on either on one (1) borehole or available wells, rivers, dug-outs and dams.

• According to the respondents, these wells, dug-outs and rivers dry up during the dry seasons when water is much needed for both consumption and farming. This contributes to the low yields and high youth migration to the southern part of the country to seek unavailable jobs.

• The interaction with the respondent revealed that, only 12% have household toilets and 43% of the communities visited have a maximum between 1-2 public toilets that serve more than 1,000 people. The remaining communities use bushes and anywhere.

• The respondents mentioned some of the interventions that Government and other Non Governmental Organizations are implementing in the three Northern Regions to help reduce extreme poverty. Some of these interventions are as follows:

School feeding program for children Microfinance loan from rural banks Youth employment programme NGO training of youth in batik/tie and dye Youth empowerment program Community labour in cleaning

Discussions

• Based on the investigation, it can be concluded that the three Regions have similar characteristics that are contributing factors to the extreme poverty level. However, each region has it unique features that make it poorer than other regions. Comparatively, communities visited in the Northern Region are more well-to- do than other communities visited in the Upper West and Upper East. Some of the communities in the Northern region engage in economic activities and have easy access to Government, NGOs and banks’ interventions than other regions.

• Apart from the individual region’s challenges perpetrate poverty, all the six Districts selected in the three Northern Regions have the following characteristics that make them vulnerable to poverty

• Lack of Access to modern energy services All the households visited and interviewed have a heap of firewood packed behind or beside their houses,

90% of the households use firewood and the remaining use either charcoal or stock for cooking. Moreover, women, girls and children mostly are the people who spend hours each day collecting fuel wood from the forest. The forest in the three Northern Regions is depleting at a fast rate with an average depletion rate of 3% per annum.

• Lack of capacity: The quality and quantity of personnel are the biggest constraint in the three Northern Regions. Example,

based on the 2006 Doctor -patient ratio, the three Northern Regions had a doctor to population ratio, averagely 1:56,700 as compared to the Nation ratio of 1: 10,641 (MOH 2006 Health Sector Programme of Work Reviews).Moreover, majority of the people are farmers and do not have adequate knowledge in improved farming practices.

• Inadequate infrastructure: More than 86% of the communities visited do not have adequate essential infrastructures

such as proper roads, portable water and appropriate sanitation facilities. Majority depend on wells, dug-outs and rivers as sources of drinking water, though these

waters unhygienic and not good for their health. Inadequate roads networks and transportation systems prevent farmers in rural areas from

sending their produce to market centres. Those farmers have to walk more than 10 kilometers depending on the market centre.

From available statistics, the three Northern Regions had the lowest HIPC implemented projects as compared with other regions in Ghana as at the year 2006.

• Inadequate resources Lack of financial support to improve farms and businesses has prevented majority of the

people in the three Northern Regions from alleviating poverty. Most of the people interviewed said, financial and small scale loans are not easy to access.

Available records show that, apart from the Northern Region, Upper East and Upper West received the least amount of DACF and HIPC funds for development in the year 2006 as shown in table 3 and this may have contributed to the rapid increase of poverty in the Upper East and Upper West.

REVENUE INFLOWS (IN MILLION CEDIS)REGION GoG

GRANTSDONORGRANTS

HIPC FUND

DACF IGF

1 NORTHERN 12,555 52,872 29,435 123,886 6,8742 UPPER EAST 5,766 11,113 22,680 48,664 7,0803 GT ACCRA 15,647 17,474 28,878 37,936 53,799

4 EASTERN 21,956 7,835 32,179 86,907 27,980

5 VOLTA 12,456 12,594 27,154 62,205 11,872

6 WESTERN 13,710 4,540 27,250 94,695 37,118

7 CENTRAL 15,271 10,340 28,184 80,641 13,580

8 UPPER WEST 3,282 28,054 23,023 49,011 5,0429 ASHANTI 29,150 33,902 45,390 156,685 55,628

10 BRONG AHAFO 19,602 19,540 25,457 106,278 25,750

TOTALS 149,394 198,263 289,631 846,910 244,721

Table 3: Sources and Level of Revenues Inflows to Districts, 2006

Source: MLGRDE, 2006

WHAT ROLES SHOULD GEOGRAPHERS PLAY IN ACHIEVING MDGS IN GHANA?

From the research analysis and discussions , geographers should bethe integrate part of the SADA implementation body to help play the following major roles in addressing poverty and environmentalrelated problems to achieve the MDGS.

Indentify the information needed to develop strategies to secure local livelihoods and ensure food supplies in poverty areas.

Indentify drought and floods hotspots and sketching new and evolving risk scenarios.

Develop and establish weather and climate early warning systems at regional and rural communities to support farm management decisions to reduce flood and drought disasters.

Conduct research with center for crops and animal research department to intensifying genetic improvement and cross breeding to increase livestock resilience in flood and drought areas.

Documentation of the results of the research derived from biodiversity and climate change mapping to develop risk analysis sceneries.

Using environmental awareness and education campaigns to ensure that community members and other stakeholders have adequate information they need to enable them integrate environmental and climate change issues into relevant planning process and development initiatives.

Develop intensive and effective systems to monitor and evaluate policies and intervention that are mitigating effects of climate change in affected areas.

Geographers should collaborate with Ministry of Agriculture and local farmers to indentify seeds that are drought resistant and can be grown all year rounds in the three Northern Regions.

Organize national, regional and communities workshops to enable metrological service department to share information and update agricultural officers and other stakeholders in the communities on seasonal forecasts.

Geographers should create more awareness campaigns on climate change in most affected and protect the unaffected zones

Conclusion

From the data gathered in the six districts in the three Northern Regions, it was revealed that poverty is one of the major threats to environmental protection and sustainable development in the three Northern Regions.

• Cutting of forests in search of cheap fuelwood to generate energy, and grazing of marginal lands are as result of poverty. Inadequate access to safe drinking water and sanitation is another challenge and factor to the poverty in the three Northern Regions.

• Inadequate or absence of improved farm inputs and irrigation facilities for dry season

farming are the results of low yields and high increase in youth migration from the Northern to the southern part seeking for unavailable jobs.

• High unemployment rate, mostly among the youth as a result of unavailable sustainable jobs in the three Northern Regions is another contributing factor to the high poverty and environmental degradation in the three Northern Regions.

• Based on the findings, if massive efforts and measures are not adopted to ensure that the poverty level in the three Northern Regions is improved, Ghana can be on track but cannot full achieve MDGs 1 and 7 in full by 2015 in the three Northern Regions.

Recommendation

Based on the finding, for Ghana to achieve MDGs by 2015, the following measure and recommendationshould be used.

• SADA should be location specific to help identify places and communities that are more in need to benefit from the poverty alleviation programme.

• SADA should partner with Ghana Metrological Service Development and other stakeholders to develop technologies to give early warning signs to people living in prone floods zones.

• Comprehensive strategies and technologies should be developed to harvest all flood waters and store in underground reservoirs to be used dry season farming in the three Northern regions.

• Ministry of Finance should pay school feeding programme money to local rice companies to supply rice to schools rather than paying money to school accountants who buy from aboard company.

• Establish shea butter, cotton and groundnut industries in the three Northern Regions to provide employment opportunities for the youth and also to prevent migration.

• Conduct research into seedling that can be grown in the regions. A large number of seedlings are planted each year, but no system exists to determine the survival rate of these trees.

• Provision of easy access to low-cost electricity such as Kherson coalpot, gas cookers and other to reduce the workload placed on women and girls in rural areas for spending most of their time looking for firewood.

• Improved vocational training for farmers, expansion of arable, improved inputs such as better seeds land and better land management in areas prone to flooding.

• Conduct capacity building workshop and campaign on raise the level of public awareness on environmental issues to ensure that all sections of the population understand how the environment works and what opportunities and problems it presents.

• Provision of irrigation infrastructure for dry season vegetable and crops farming

• Enhancing access to inputs such as hoe, cutlass, water cans for farming in needed locations

• Modernizing livestock development through good breeding in the three Regions

• Improve access to mechanize agriculture machines to commercial farmers • Increasing access to extension services through more training of personnel’s • Restoration of degraded land and environment through communities participation in tree planning

• Provide more toilet faculties in rural and urban communities

• Provision of more water storage facilities to be used by community members

• Promote the development of the craft industry for export

• Ensure the health, safety and economic interest of consumers

THANK YOU

ALL COMMENTS ARE WELCOME

The authors wish to thank Dr. Osman Kanton andDr. Isaac Agymang of University for Developmentfor their contributions during the study. We alsoacknowledge the, Departments, Households andRespondents of the various communities we visitedand all the authors whose works were cited andreference to.

Acknowledgement