Benjamin Apraku Gyampoh

• PhD
• Lecturer at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology

Aquaculture-mediated introductions of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) into environments where it is not indigenous is well documented. The establishment of a cage-aquaculture facility on Lake Bosomtwe in Ghana in 2012 led to the accidental introduction of O. niloticus. This study details the growing concerns about the potential invasiveness of...

Due to the overexploitation of mangrove ecosystems and subsequent decline in biomass, fringing communities of the Keta Lagoon Complex Ramsar Site (KLCRS) have resorted to plantation farming of mangroves in the wetland to continue meeting their fuel needs. Using a mixed-method approach which employed a semi-structured questionnaire and an in-depth i...

Achieving water security remains one of the central challenges to many developing countries today. According to the South African Water Research Commission, the availability of safe and affordable water is crucial in ensuring a healthy and productive life for all. Despite the national standards set to measure the quality of water in South Africa, t...

Climate Change research plays a pivotal role in Africa’s sustainable development by providing the required scientific evidence to inform the design of Africa’s development priorities. The need for enhanced climate research is heightened by the fact that Africa is one of the regions likely to be most affected by the impacts of global warming and cli...

The decline in traditionally valuable fish stocks, coupled with an increased demand for shark fins and meat has caused many fishermen to target sharks. However, there is limited information on the fishing practices, gears, and catch distribution for the shark fisheries. This study used a semi-structured interview to characterize the shark fisheries...

The quality of culture water and the rate of water flow within a culture system can affect fish growth and health. In this study, the effects of different water flow rates on digestion efficiency, growth and welfare of juvenile Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) (Initial weight: 25.75±0.47 g) were investigated. Fish (15 per tank) were randomly st...

There is evidence that cocoa is expanding into food croplands in cocoa-producing landscapes in Ghana. This calls for effective monitoring to inform policy and interventions in these landscapes to minimise the possible adverse effects of cropland area loss on food self-sufficiency. This study explored how farmers shift land use from food crops to co...

Agriculture is one of the sectors most susceptible to changes in climatic conditions. The impact is even stronger in Africa, where rain-fed agriculture is vital for daily subsistence, but where adaptive capacity is low. It is therefore crucial to increase the understanding of the actual climate change dynamics on agricultural productivity. This stu...

Increasing demand on water resources, reduced land water availability, and concerns over food security have spurred the evolution of many innovative and complex food production. An aquaponic system is a productive, innovative, and sustainable fish and vegetable production system that is revolutionizing agriculture in the face of drought, soil ferti...

Several studies have been conducted on shaded cocoa systems, but few of these have examined species-specific crown architecture of upper canopy trees and its influence on shade provision in cocoa agroforestry systems. In view of the fact that cocoa agroforestry is a recommended practice to drive cocoa production onto a climate-smart pathway, and gi...

Africa is highly vulnerable to changes in global climatic conditions due to its low adaptive capacity and sensitivity to changes in climatic variables, particularly in the agricultural sector. A key attribute of studies on climate change coping strategies and adaptation mechanisms in Africa is that they lack local specificity. Within a discourse do...

This study assessed the performance of 24 simulations, from five regional climate models (RCMs) participating in the Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX), in representing spatiotemporal characteristics of precipitation over West Africa, compared to observations. The top five performing RCM simulations were used to assess fut...

The introduction of a non‐native fish species into an aquatic ecosystem presents significant ecological risks if the species is able to successfully integrate into the ecosystem. Lake Bosomtwe in Ghana is an impact crater lake which contains an endemic and a near-endemic cichlid species. Following the establishment of an intensive Nile tilapia (Ore...

To understand the effects of road condition on physiological changes and post-transportation growth and mortalities, different groups of Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings (Average mass: 0.37 g) were transported over good (fully asphalted road) or bad roads (dirt road with bumpy surface) for 6 h. Physiological stress responses as well...

Hierarchies are prevalent in social animals and display of aggression by dominant individuals often results in appetite and growth suppressions in lower-ranked fish. This study investigated the effects of dominance hierarchies on growth and some physiological responses in Nile tilapia (mass range: 120-300 g). Fish were grouped based on body mass in...

Keta Lagoon is the largest coastal lagoon and the most extensive brackish waterbody in Ghana which is home to several shellfishes. The shellfish fishery of the lagoon has received very little attention and gradually slipping into a forgotten category. This study employed cost-benefit and value chain assessment methodology to assess the structure, f...

Purpose Climate change and variability present different challenges to the livelihoods of forest-dependent communities. This paper aims to determine climate variability/change and its effects on the livelihoods of the Buyangu community, which depends on Kakamega tropical rain forest in Kenya. Design/methodology/approach Rainfall and temperature tr...

This paper examines the water dimensions of recent large-scale land acquisitions for biofuel production in the Ashanti, Brong-Ahafo and Northern regions of Ghana. Using secondary sources of data complemented by individual and group interviews, the paper reveals an almost universal lack of consideration of the implications of large-scale land deals...

Forests have influenced climate, soil and water resources which have supported Ghana’s agriculture, the backbone of her economy. In less than 50 years, Ghana’s primary rain forest was reduced by 90%; even in this era of sustainable forest management. This paper presents a review of major forest policies and legislations since the beginning of the 2...

The livelihoods of forest fringe communities in Ghana depend, largely, on the renewable natural resources that they can find in the forests and any activities that impacts on the integrity of the forest disrupt thelivelihood of the dependent communities. Forest fragmentation continues to take place in Ghana, mainly in response to a growing demand t...

Vulnerability of forest ecosystems in West Africa is likely to be aggravated with current and projected climate and human stresses with implications for adaptation and REDD regimes. This is because vulnerability of the forest ecosystems affects economic sectors and millions of people that depend on their services. This study investigated vulnerabil...

An assessment with regards to the strategies by rural communities in the basin of the River Offin in Ghana is given which will be used in order to cope up with climate change and variability. The views on climate change and the means of coping up with such changes were drawn upon several events such as the semi-structured questionnaires, focus grou...

The effects of climate change and variability on water availability in Ghana is being felt throughout the country. Coping with water scarcity has become a major issue. Most communities in the Offin River basin are rural with no pipe-borne water, and consist predominantly of farmers who depend on irrigation for their crops. The basin provides the co...