Gordana Kranjac-Berisavljevic

• PhD
• Deputy Director at University for Development Studies

Bontanga reservoir is the largest reservoir in Northern Region of Ghana and serves a number of communities through irrigation, fisheries, livestock and domestic water uses. This study was conducted to assess and model water demand of the Bontanga reservoir. The Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) tool was employed to simulate water demand under va...

This study was undertaken at the Bontanga irrigation scheme in the Northern Region of Ghana to identify shortfalls within the irrigation water delivery system, propose solutions for the system's performance improvement, and project the impact of water delivery improvement on water demand using the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) model. The stu...

Bontanga reservoir is the largest reservoir in Northern Region of Ghana and serves a number of communities through irrigation, fisheries, livestock and domestic water uses. This study was conducted to assess and model water demand of the Bontanga reservoir. The Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) tool was employed to simulate water demand under va...

Reservoir evaporation losses are not negligible, they directly affect the reservoir water supply. This study was undertaken to estimate evaporation losses from the Bontanga reservoir and assess the impact of reservoir evaporation losses on water demand. The Energy balance, Aerodynamic, standard FAO Penman-Monteith, and Blaney-Criddle methods were e...

While most commercial pineapple farms in Ghana cultivate under rainfed conditions, few supplement the rains with irrigation, which is a good agronomic practice. In this study, pineapple fruit yield and quality (brix and weight loss) were assessed in rainfed and irrigated fields in Ghana's Coastal Savannah agroecological zone in 2022 production peri...

Purpose - The aim of this paper is to determine whether the dominant integrated water resources management (IWRM) paradigm within which the Pra River Basin is managed holds the key to address the current water security and sustainability issues in Southwestern Ghana. Design/methodology/approach - This study employed a literature review developed...

This study examined the challenges faced by men, women, and different age groups in irrigation water management and farming practices in the Bontanga and Golinga irrigation schemes. The results of the study revealed that there are significant differences in irrigation and farming practices between men and women as well as between older and younger...

Reducing climate-related risks and uncertainties is crucial for the long-term survival of rain-fed smallholder rice farmers in northern Ghana. The study explored the role of psychosocial factors in the adoption and use of sustainable intensification practices to mitigate climate variability among smallholder farmers using the modified Unified Theor...

The increase in illegal gold mining (galamsey) activities that harm the environment by polluting water sources necessitates the need to take meaningful steps towards protecting the environment. The Jacobu water system in the Amansie Central district was selected as a case study. The purpose of the work is to assess the environmental sustainability...

The study examined the critical factors influencing the sustainability of the Pra river basin in Ghana, with a focus on water pollution incidents caused by illegal mining (galamsey) activities. The study followed a quantitative research approach using data collected from 156 respondents in the Amansie Central district of Ghana. Generally, Strengths...

Rainfed agriculture constitutes the backbone of the economy in many regions of the Global South. Historically, smallholder farmers used their local knowledge to forecast the weather. However, with the increase in climatic variability, they can no longer solely rely on their experience to accurately forecast the weather. FarmerSupport app (FSapp) is...

CROPWAT 8.0 model was used to estimate the water requirement of pineapple for the 2021/22 cropping period, considering all the months in the year. This was done to ascertain which months in the year have lower irrigation water requirements and where water savings can be made. For the months of December to August, irrigation requirement (mm) of 140,...

The ability of smallholder farmers to adapt to changing climatic conditions is crucial in achieving domestic and global food security. The study analysed the resilience of smallholder lowland rice farmers to climate variability and the factors influencing the resilience of smallholder rice systems in the Savelugu municipality of the northern region...

Providing access to safe and clean drinking water requires that materials and technologies for treating polluted water are affordable, operated without much difficulty and produced locally. To this effect, agricultural wastes, natural soils and materials as well as treatment technologies that are easily put together were investigated. Experimental...

In Ghana, most of the farmers are engaged in small-scale rainfed farming where the success is influenced by the prevailing weather conditions. Current Climate Information Services (CISs) only provide information on rainfall conditions to reduce their farming vulnerability to climate extremes. Access to other practical knowledge, such as soil moistu...

Citation: Sutanto, S.J.; Paparrizos, S.; Kranjac-Berisavljevic, G.; Jamaldeen, B.M.; Issahaku, A.K.; Gandaa, B.Z.; Supit, I.; van Slobe, E. The Role of Soil Moisture Information in Developing Robust Climate Services for Smallholder Farmers: Evidence from Ghana. Agronomy 2022, 12, 541.

The provision of weather information services (WIS) has become increasingly relevant for smallholder farmers in developing countries to manage the risks and opportunities arising from climate change and variability. However, gaps exist between what information providers understand as useful information and what users recognise as usable WIS, leadin...

The Nasia catchment is the reservoir with significant surface water resources in Northern Ghana and home to numerous subsistence farmers engaged in rainfed and dry season irrigation farming. Yet, there is little understanding of the hydro-climatic and land use/cover conditions of this basin. This study investigated trends, relationships and changes...

The study was carried out to determine soil physical and hydraulic properties of irrigable lands in three selected irrigation schemes in the Northern Region of Ghana. Soil properties estimated were hydraulic conductivity, gravimetric moisture content, volumetric moisture content, soil texture, bulk density, soil infiltration and soil porosity. Data...

The Nasia catchment is the reservoir for significant surface water resources in Northern Ghana and home to numerous subsistence farmers engaged in rainfed and dry season irrigation farming. Yet there is little understanding of the hydro-climatic and land use /cover conditions of this basin. We analyzed 50 years of minimum (Tmin) and maximum tempera...

Improved weather and climate forecast information services are important to sustain small-scale crop production in many developing countries. Previous studies recognized the value of integrating local forecasting knowledge (LFK) with scientific forecasting knowledge (SFK) to support farming’s decisions making. Yet, little work has focused on proper...

The impact of climate induced sea level rise (SLR) is a major threat, likely to continue even if greenhouse gas concentrations were stabilized. SLR will not be geographically uniform. Developing countries are most impacted because of their low adaptive capacity. This study reviewed the most recent scientific evidence of the impact, vulnerability an...

Droughts and floods are some of the major climatic hazards in the semi-arid areas of Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Climate change affects the periodicity and severity of such hazards, and eventually the well-being of many rural communities in the region, including semi-arid Ghana. Enhancing the resilience of local communities to droughts and floods wou...

Many West African farmers are struggling to cope with changing weather and climatic conditions. This situation limits farmers’ ability to make optimal decisions for food and income security. Developing more useful and accessible weather and climate information services (WCIS) can help small-scale farmers improve their adaptive capacity. The literat...

Improved information on the distribution of seasonal rainfall is important for crop production in Ghana. The predictability of key agro-meteorological indices, namely, seasonal rainfall, maximum dry spell length (MDSL) and dry spell frequency (DSF) was investigated across Ghana (with an interest on the coastal savannah agro-ecological zone). These...

Farming in Ghana's Volta delta is increasingly affected by variability in rainfall conditions and changes in land-use patterns. Under such socio-ecological conditions, little is known about farmers' decision-making in response to uncertainties in uncertain rainfall conditions. To fill this gap and add to the literature on adaptive decision-making,...

Farming in Ghana’s Volta delta is increasingly affected by variability in rainfall conditions and changes in land-use patterns. Under such socio-ecological conditions, little is known about farmers’ decision-making in response to uncertainties in uncertain rainfall conditions. To fill this gap and add to the literature on adaptive decision-making,...

Sub-Saharan Africa in general, and West Africa in particular, are at present the regions with the fastest population growth, globally. This has resulted in the growth of mega-cities, such as Lagos in Nigeria, and other regional capitals (Accra, Dakar, Niamey, etc.), as well as smaller, fastgrowing cities, linking rural and urban areas. Expanding ur...

Introduction Untreated wastewater is frequently the only available water source for urban and peri-urban farmers in West Africa to irrigate their crops during the long-lasting dry season. The aim of this study was to develop and implement a multi-stage wastewater filtration plant in the city of Tamale (northern Ghana) for the production of safer ir...

This article poses the problem of public consultation in developing countries and applies a solution in Ghana as a test case. It describes the theoretical rationale for deliberative consultation with random samples, describes specific criteria for success, and then assesses an application under the challenging conditions of a developing country. It...

This article poses the problem of public consultation in developing countries and applies a solution in Ghana as a test case. It describes the theoretical rationale for deliberative consultation with random samples, describes specific criteria for success, and then assesses an application under the challenging conditions of a developing country. It...

Reliable information on onset of the rainy season is important for local agriculture planning in Ghana. We examine the (i) trend and variability of onset in local observations to better understand the need for onset forecast information and (ii) performance of ECMWF System 4 seasonal climate forecast in reproducing this variability and discriminati...

Periurban areas of growing cities in developing countries have been conceptualised as highly dynamic landscapes characterised by a mixture of socioeconomic structures, land uses and functions. While the body of conceptual literature on periurban areas has significantly increased over the past two decades, methods for operationalising these multi-di...

Food systems are integral to a city’s functioning, and the importance of stakeholder participation in urban planning at various scales is increasingly recognised. This chapter therefore analyses the role of participatory processes in urban food system planning. We draw upon data from an ongoing multi-stakeholder planning process in Tamale, Northern...

Amoako et al.: Effect of the seasonal burning on tree species in the Guinea savanna woodland, Ghana: implications for climate change mitigation-1935-APPLIED ECOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 16(2):1935-1949. Abstract. The indiscriminate burning of vegetation is a common practice in the Guinea savanna of Ghana. Burning begins at the onset of the dr...

Urban agriculture is characterized by fast rotation of cropping cycles and high inputs and outputs on relatively small areas of land. Depletion of soil organic carbon and low nutrient use efficiency are severe agricultural constraints in the sandy soils of West Africa. We hypothesized that such an intensive system would provide ideal preconditions...

The concept of ecosystem and ecosystem management services has given rise to different definitions and classifications. Ecosystem may be defined as a natural unit of living things and their physical environment. Ecosystem concept shows the relationship of biodiversity and ecosystems and the benefits are the services enjoyed by humans. In the past,...

The study assessed performance and state of water retention infrastructure of eight (8) irrigation schemes in three (3) northern regions of Ghana. Data was collected using field observation and key informants’ interviews. The results indicated that the Tono and Bontanga earthen irrigation dams’ embankments had no structural defects whereas the emba...

The significance of incorporating adaptation responses within climate and environmental change policies is well acknowledged. The involvement of diverse and relevant stakeholders is essential in the identification, characterization, and implementation of adaptation measures for enhancing resilience and reducing vulnerability. The “Ghana Model” was...

This book summarizes studies on climate and ecosystem change adaptation and resilience in Africa (CECAR-Africa), a collaboration with the goal of creating an integrated resilience enhancement strategy as a potential model for semi-arid regions across Sub-Saharan Africa by combining climate change and ecosystem change research. The case studies were...

This study was carried out to determine the crop water requirement of some selected vegetable crops cultivated at the Central Experimental Site for Urban Food Plus Project. These crops Ayoyò (Corchorus spp), Lettuce (Lactuca sativa), Cabbage (Brassica oleracea), Amaranthus (Amaranthus candatus) and Carrot (Daucus carota). Crop water requirement for...

Many government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and academic and research institutions have over the past two decades conducted studies and implemented actions aimed at developing frameworks, models, and tools to assess the resilience to climate and ecosystem changes of vulnerable communities. However, actions and studies encompassing empi...

Despite the increasing adoption of participatory research principles in multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary scientific research projects, a prevailing challenge is utilization of appropriate techniques and activities for engaging and incorporating core actors and stakeholders at local level in the entire research process. Sci...

University education on the African continent is very divergent and there are a lot of variations in teaching philosophies, learning, as well as ideological perspectives, in addition to language and culturally different styles of education at Francophone and Anglophone schools. Furthermore, the ‘traditional’ universities in Africa, which were start...

The study assessed the performance and state of irrigation water delivery structures in six (6) irrigation schemes of Northern Ghana. The schemes were Tono, Vea, Doba Libga, Bontanga and Golinga in the Upper East and Northern Regions. Data was collected using interviews, physical structures, performance indicators, field observation and field measu...

The study assessed the performance and state of irrigation water delivery structures in six (6) irrigation schemes of Northern Ghana. The schemes were Tono, Vea, Doba Libga, Bontanga and Golinga in the Upper East and Northern Regions. Data was collected using interviews, physical structures, performance indicators, field observation and field measu...

This research was carried out in the Tono, Vea, Doba Libga, Bontanga and Golinga irrigation schemes in the Upper East and Northern Regions of Ghana to assess soil quality of the irrigable areas. The irrigable areas of the schemes were divided into three blocks namely; upstream, midstream and downstream for soil sampling. Three (3) composite soil sa...

This research was carried out in the Tono, Vea, Doba Libga, Bontanga and Golinga irrigation schemes in the Upper East and Northern Regions of Ghana to assess soil quality of the irrigable areas. The irrigable areas of the schemes were divided into three blocks namely; upstream, midstream and downstream for soil sampling. Three (3) composite soil sa...

Current understanding of disaster risk reduction (DRR) concurs that, when provided the right education, children have the potential to reduce their own vulnerability and the vulnerability of others in their community. What, then, comprises the right education for DRR? Research has established the need for disaster education to address the causes an...

www.start.org www.start.org This assessment report presents the ndings of a knowledge assessment on urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) for the city of Tamale, Ghana, that was conducted in 2012. The assessment examines the state of UPA in the city through the lens of intensifying urban pressures and increasing climate risks with the objective of...

Faced with adversarial climatic and physical conditions and an inept socioeconomic development priorities, Northern Ghana remains one of the regions that are most vulnerable to climate-related shocks and disturbances in semi-arid Africa. Because of the effect of frequent floods, droughts, and bushfires, entire livelihoods in Ghana's predominantly s...

This study seeks to explore stakeholders' perceptions, causes, and effects of extreme climatic events, such as droughts and floods, in the Wa West District of Ghana's Upper West Region. A multi-stage sampling procedure is used to select 184 respondents. Data collection methods include individual questionnaire ad-ministration, focus group discussion...

Despite the growing demand for rice in Ghana, domestic rice production remains low, resulting in the importation of about 70% of the rice consumed in Ghana. In spite of the fact that 39-47% of the 20-28% of Ghana's total geographic area classified as inland valley wetlands is considered suitable for rice cultivation, less than 15% is presently bein...

This paper assesses the impact of climate change in the Black Volta River by using data output from the atmospheric general circulation model with a 20-km resolution (AGCM20) through the Japanese Meteorological Agency (JMA) and the Meteorological Research Institute (MRI). The Black Volta, which flows mainly in Burkina Faso and Ghana in West Africa,...

Sustainable crop production is important for food security in Northern Ghana, where highly variable rainfall coupled with high evaporation rates and soils prone to degradation combine to produce low crop yields of main staple crops that are vital for local people's livelihoods. Rainfall in this region generally ranges between 800 mm and 1200 mm per...

The effects of climate change on people’s livelihoods are perceived differently across various localities. It is imperative to examine how farmers understand the effects of climate change on their livelihoods. Their viewpoints can help create strategies for responding to climate and ecosystem changes in an appropriate and practical manner. Such per...

This study seeks to explore stakeholders’ perceptions, causes, and effects of extreme climatic events, such as droughts and floods, in the Wa West District of Ghana’s Upper West Region. A multi-stage sampling procedure is used to select 184 respondents. Data collection methods include individual questionnaire administration, focus group discussions...

Urbanisation involves growth and transformation of settlements into increasingly large spatially sprawling cities. By encroaching upon agricultural land, taxing water resources and enticing rural people away from farming, urbanisation poses a threat to agriculture within both the built-up and peri-urban areas. Growing climate variability, an appare...

African university education is under the mounting pressure to answer to challenges and demands of the 21 st century, such as training of large young population in practically oriented programmes and courses, as well as arresting the brain drain which affects the continent. Training and appropriate education of available human resources are essenti...

Bush grape, (Vitex doniana) is one of the wild fruit plants commonly growing in savanna areas of northern Ghana. It is a perennial deciduous plant, which grows into a small tree with rough bark, pale brown or grayish-white in colour. The fruits of the tree are sweet, and are black when ripe. Dagarti speaking ethnic group, known as Dagaabas, mostly...

Micro-dams are expected to be feasible options for water resources development in semi-arid regions such as the Guinea savanna agro-ecological zone of West Africa. An optimal water management strategy in a micro-dam irrigation scheme supplying water from an existing reservoir to a potential command area is discussed in this paper based on the frame...

"Radio is a powerful communication tool. Experience with rural radio has shown the potential for agricultural extension to benefit from both the reach and the relevance that local broadcasting can achieve by using participatory communication approaches. The importance of sharing information locally and opening up wider information networks for farm...

Droughts and floods are two opposite but related hydrological events. They both lie at the extremes of rainfall intensity when the period of that intensity is measured over long intervals. This paper presents a new concept based on stochastic calculus to assess the risk of both droughts and floods. An extended definition of rainfall intensity is...

This paper documents the application of several innovative knowledge sharing approaches and some of the lessons learnt in a project addressing food safety concerns deriving from wastewater irrigated vegetables in Ghana. Knowledge sharing activities received particular attention in the project to facilitate its impact pathway, in particular to (i) v...

The inland valleys of West Africa are strategic in terms of food security and poverty alleviation, but scientific studies on hydrologic processes happening in these environments have not been well documented. Modeling approaches presented in this paper are an attempt to better comprehend hydraulic phenomena occurring in inland valleys. An inland va...

The baobab (Adansonia digitata) is a slow growing, large tree common in the Guinea and Sudan Savannah zones of Northern Ghana. It is found everywhere in the rural communities where people also attach spiritual value to its presence and do not like to see it cut for any reason. During food shortage, the population eats the tender fruits, leaves (dry...

The International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Science, and Technology for Development (IAASTD) looks realistically at how we could effectively use agriculture/AKST to help us meet development and sustainability goals. An unprecedented three-year collaborative effort, the IAASTD involved more than 400 authors in 110 countries and cost more...

In Ghana, studies on the use of organic materials to increase soil productivity have focused on crop-residue management, use of green and animal manures, and legume cover cropping. Few studies have assessed the use of human waste for agriculture, even though this is widely practiced by farmers in the northern part of the country. This study was car...