Gender-based variations in the perception of climate change impact, vulnerability and adaptation strategies in the Pra River Basin of Ghana

Purpose This study aims to assess gender-based differences on farmers’ perception of impacts and vulnerability to climate change and the implementation of adaptation strategies in the Pra River Basin of Ghana, while also providing lessons for other Sub-Saharan nations and regions with similar conditions. Design/methodology/approach The study used semi-structured interviews and questionnaires to collect data from 344 farmers, 64 participants in focus group discussions and 6 agriculture extension officers (key informants) from 10 districts in the Pra River Basin of Ghana. Findings Results showed several differences in how climate change is perceived and tackled by male and female genders. In the perception of male farmers, for example, they were found to be more vulnerable to increased temperature, and changes in rainfall and growing season, whereas female farmers on average were considered to be less resilient to floods and droughts for different reasons. Moreover, floods posed higher risks to farming than other climate change impacts. Gender roles had a significant correlation with the type of adaptation strategies practised. Men adopted agrochemicals more often than women, as an adaptation strategy. Research limitations/implications Gender-differentiated interventions should be incorporated in the national climate change action plan for sustainable development in a rain-fed agricultural economy such as Ghana. The study recommends several actions to promote gender equity in the assessed region. Originality/value This research assessed the gender differentials in climate trends, impact, vulnerability and adaptation based on primary data collected between April and May 2019 and compared the results with climate data in the basin for the period 1991–2014. It is an empirical study focused on primary data analysis obtained in loco by authors, involving approximately 400 participants.

PARASITOCENOSES OF FISH IN RIVERS AND RESERVOIRS OF THE RYAZAN REGION

The wide distribution of trematodes and other helminths with a complex biological cycle in the reservoirs of the Ryazan Region indicates an increase in the level of their eutrophication. We performed a complete helminthological study of the ide (25 copies), roach (21 copies), and perch (29 copies) according to K.I. Skryabin. Taking into account complex hydrological indicators (species composition of higher plants, microphytes, fauna of hydrobionts and their parasites), the Pra River is a dystrophic water body, the Pronya River is an eutrophic water body, and the Novomichurinsk Reservoir is a hypertrophic water body. Parasites of Pra River were represented by nine species, the Pronya River by four species, and the Novomichurinsky Reservoir by six species. Trematodes dominate in all reservoirs of the Ryazan Region. We found an endemic focus of opisthorchiasis in the Pra River where the infection of the ide with metacercarias Opisthorchis felineus reaches 38–50% with an invasion intensity of up to 70 specimens. A number of species of trematodes (Ichthyocotylurus spp., Paracoenogonimus ovatus, Diplostomum spp., Posthodiplostomum spp., Tylodelphys clavata) and cestodes (Ligula intestinalis) should be considered as indicators for assessing an increase in concentration of dissolved biogenic substances in the water bodies. There is a direct correlation between the infection of fish with the above species of trematodes and cestodes (tapeworms) being indicators of the invasion intensity and the degree of eutrophication of the reservoirs.

Evaluation of sediment yield predicting models of Ghana

Fluvial sediment transport data is a very important data for effective water resource management. However, acquiring this data is expensive and tedious hence sediment yield modeling has become an alternative approach in estimating river sediment yields. In Ghana, several sediment yield predicting models have been developed to estimate the sediment yields of ungauged rivers including the Pra River Basin. In this paper, 10 months sediment yield data of the Pra River Basin was used to evaluate the existing sediment yield predicting models of Ghana. A regression analysis between predicted sediment yield data derived from the models and the observed suspended sediment yields of the Pra Basin was done to determine the extent of estimation of observed sediment yields. The prediction of suspended sediment yield was done for 4 out of 5 existing sediment yield predicting models in Ghana. There were variations in sediment yield between observed and predicted suspended sediments. All predicted sediment yields were lower than observed data except for equation 3 where the results were mixed. All models were found to be good estimators of fluvial sediments with the best model being equation 4. Sediment yield tends to increase with drainage basin area.