The Impact of the Ghana＇s Oil Discovery on Land Investment and Its Implications in the People, Agriculture and the Environment （Case Study： Cape Three Points, Ghana）

The study was conducted to assess the impact of Ghana＇s oil discovery on the land values, the extent of acquisition, and their implications of the land investment in the people, agriculture and the environment in the Cape Three Points area, which is the communities close to the oil field. Questionnaires were designed and administered to collect data from the chiefs, queen mothers, family heads and opinion leaders of the area. Results of the studies indicated that there had been an increase of about 2000% in land values from 2007 to 2011. Also there was an increase in demand for lands in the Cape Three Points with acquisitions usually ranging from 10 acres to over 600 acres. It also emerged that the livelihood of the inhabitants of Cape Three Points was threatened due to the conversion of arable land to non-agriculture uses. This change in land uses has significant negative impacts on land degradation and its related reduction of agricultural and food production in the area. The technical difficulties of assessing land degradation, the weakness of existing databases, and the poorly explored linkages between land degradation and other aspects of rural development were some of the limitation of the studies. The study increased awareness of the chiefs and other land owners to reserve land for the future generation and for agriculture purposes. The study drew government＇s attention through the Ahanta West District Assembly to the planning needs of the towns in the Cape Three Points to streamline land use of the area.

The Continuous Use of Asbestos in Ghana Despite Its Hazards （Case Study Area： Sekondi-Takoradi）

This paper reported on a research work conducted with the aims of investigating the regulatory position regarding the use of asbestos and also of assessing the evidence of the continuous use of asbestos cement products in the construction industries in Ghana, using Sekondi-Takoradi as a case study area. This paper adopted both quantitative and qualitative research approach to seek information from, landlords, and manufacturers of asbestos cement products, parliament and other Government Agencies. Data was obtained through questionnaire, interview and field work survey. In all, a total of 20 questionnaires were distributed. The research emerged that about 1200 housing units roofed with asbestos cement roofing sheet were constructed by the state owned construction company between 1976 and 2000 in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis （about 12,000 nationwide）, a period when the risk of asbestos was known in Ghana. The study in the newly developing areas in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis indicated that, out of every 100 housing unit being built, at least 40 of these were roofed with asbestos cement corrugated roofing sheet. It was also emerged from this research that there were no laws prohibiting the use, manufacturing or importation of asbestos products in Ghana. And this exposes maintenance workers in the building construction industries to the risk of asbestos related diseases. The research recommended that those who have asbestos materials present in their premises should take action to manage the risk so that no one will unknowingly disturb it and also provide information about the material to those who are likely to disturb it.