Ghana, Wa

I have just arrived in Ghana, Wa after some relaxing two weeks at Ghana several fantastic beaches. Frankly, I feel quite confident to start work at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with the enthusiasm to participate in different environmental projects.
Wa is located in the northern part of Ghana, roughly 160 km from the Burkina Faso border. The northern part of Ghana consists of three different regions, Upper East Region, Northern Region and Upper West Region. Wa is the region capital of Upper West Region.
Generally, it is possible to argue that the northern districts are less developed. This has contributed to a more pronounced poverty compared to the southern parts of the country where the majority of the industry is found. As a result, several different non-governmental organisations (NGO¥s) such as, Plan, Action Aid, World Vision, Peace Corps and CID-Ghana have been established.
However, the first week at the EPA office has been very straightforward with a lot of necessary reading of past and future projects. There is only three staff at the office including the regional director due to difficulties in recruiting more employees to the EPA (the staff should be a total of 5). I would say their work assignments are somehow diverse since they are supposed to deal with land degradation, water control, air pollution, noise levels and work as environmental inspectors e.g. controlling petrol stations etc.
In March a rather large project dealing with desertification is going to be launched. The project is funded by the CIDA (the Canadian International Donor Agency) and aims to fight desertification that is the most important environmental problem in the three northern districts.
Desertification is expressed in northern Ghana as land degradation (e.g. soil erosion), reduced available water as well as loss of biodiversity. Since agricultural employs 70% of the population and 35% the land area of Ghana is prone to desertification a majority of the rural population are affected due to their dependency of farming. Consequently, reduced agricultural productivity is demonstrated resulting to less household income, therefore, contributing to a further push into the poverty trap.
The causes of desertification are complex in understanding. Locally, desertification is caused on the on hand of unsustainable land use such as, overgrazing, deforestation, uncontrolled bush fires as well as cultivation of ecological marginalised areas, in other words- lack of proper land management programs. Holistically, it is possible to argue on the other hand that land degradation are created how society, national policies and the world economy are linked and how these linkages affect the local land users decision-making.
Additionally, it is important to underline climate change (caused by industrialised countries) for additionally cause of desserts spreading. For instance, the increasing temperature and changing air streams, just to mention a few variables, contributes to longer dry seasons leading to droughts that in turn create desertification.
However, I know will remain in the EPA office until March just waiting, … accept, for some study visit at the several NGO¥s in Wa.

Keep in touch,
Samy