Selection of the final solid waste disposal site in the Bolgatanga municipality of Ghana using analytical hierarchy process (AHP) and multi-criteria evaluation (MCE).

The various components of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) such as collection, sorting, transportation, and disposal have their peculiarities and challenges. However, final disposal sites, generally referred to as landfill sites, present a complex difficulty. The aggregation of the problems of other components has consequences on the microenvironment, public health, and groundwater. Final disposal of MSW, site selection, and management presents an enormous burden for most Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assembly (s) in Ghana. The case of Bolgatanga Municipality is similar to many others in the Upper East region in particular and Ghana as a whole. The existing landfill site is improperly sited and poses a great danger to adjoining communities. In this work, we used the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in a G.I.S. suite and Multi-Criteria Evaluation to assess the current location and select a possible new site within the municipality. The criteria used are generally environmental and socio-economic parameters, including; distance from major roads, rivers, settlements, and the selection of an appropriate slope and soil type that suits the guidelines for the siting of a landfill. The outcome of this multi-criteria assessment is the selection of a new site far from the current disposal site indicating the inappropriate location of the current site. A combination of all weighted criteria through a model builder process produced a suitability index map for candidate landfill sites. The selected site at Sherigu is about 16 km by road from the proposed site, which is much bigger than the threshold of 500 sq. meters. The separation distance and size between the current and the proposed site are indications of how economically and environmentally inappropriate the Sherigu site is and the need for a better site that is better situated for socio-economic and environmental considerations.

Grassroots stakeholders' perception of participation in the Medium-Term Development Plan of District Assemblies in Ghana: The case of Sawla-Tuna-Kalba District.

Following Ghana's decentralisation policy, the District Assemblies, in consultation with communities, are required to prepare and implement Medium-Term Development Plans [MTDPs] to ensure the overall development of their respective jurisdictions. However, little consideration has been given to the participation of grassroots stakeholders in the development of MTDPs. Consequently, this study investigates the participation of grassroots stakeholders in developing MTDPs. A cross-sectional survey involving 139 respondents was deployed. The data were gathered using a questionnaire and an interview guide, and it was analyzed using descriptive statistics, Spearman's Rank Correlation, and thematic analysis. Results indicated that grassroots stakeholders were aware of their right to participate in the preparation of MTDPs. As such, they actively participated in the process that led to developing such plans addressing community needs. Additionally, awareness of MTDP, involvement, level of influence, satisfaction with the preparation of MTDPs, satisfaction with the quality of participation in the area council, level of confidence in the preparation of MTDP, representation adequacy, and capture of community needs had statistically significant associations at the 1% level with the associations being positive. Nonetheless, the implementation of MTDPs is jeopardised by limited funding, stakeholder commitment, and human capacity. To ensure the smooth implementation of the MTDPs, the Assembly must intensify its revenue mobilisation efforts, depoliticise the MTDP process, and build staff capacity on the involvement of the grassroots stakeholders.