Your search found 51 records
1 Danso, George; Cofie, Olufunke; Annang, L.; Obuobie, Emmanuel; Keraita, Bernard. 2004. Gender and urban agriculture: the case of Accra, Ghana. Paper presented at the RUAF/IWMI/Urban Harvest Woman Feeding Cities Workshop on Gender Mainstreaming in Urban Food Production and Food Security, Accra, Ghana, 20-23 September 2004. 10p.
Gender ; Agricultural society ; Women ; Households ; Land ownership ; Credit ; Urbanization ; Farmers ; Social aspects / Ghana / Accra
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: IWMI 630.88042 G200 DAN Record No: H035918)
2 Keraita, Bernard; Danso, George; Obuobie, Emmanuel. 2005. Extending the “ecosan loop” to address health concerns from wastewater irrigation in urban and peri-urban areas. In proceedings of the 3rd International Ecological Sanitation Conference, Ecological sanitation: a sustainable, integrated solution, Durban, South Africa, 23-26 May 2005. Pretoria , South Africa: Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) pp.123-128.
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.5 G200 KER Record No: H037659)
(138.70 KB)
3 Obuobie, Emmanuel; Keraita, Bernard; Danso, George; Amoah, Philip; Cofie, Olufunke O.; Raschid-Sally, Liqa; Drechsel, Pay. 2006. Irrigated urban vegetable production in Ghana: characteristics, benefits and risks. Accra, Ghana: International Water Management Institute (IWMI); Accra, Ghana: Network of Resource Centres on Urban Agriculture and Food Security (RUAF); Colombo, Sri Lanka: CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF). 150p.
Urban agriculture ; Vegetables ; Lettuces ; Environmental effects ; Malaria ; Sanitation ; Wastewater ; Wastewater treatment ; Water quality ; Irrigation practices ; Pesticides ; Health ; Risks / Ghana / Kumasi / Tamale
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.2 G200 OBU Record No: H039283)
(3MB)
4 Keraita, Bernard; Drechsel, Pay; Amoah, Philip; Cofie, Olufunke. 2006. Assessment of health risks and benefits associated with UA [Urban Agriculture]: impact assessment, risk mitigation, and healthy public policy. In Boischio, A. Clegg, A.; Mwagore, D. (Eds.). Health Risks and Benefits of Urban and Peri-urban Aagriculture and Livestock (UA) in Sub-Saharan Africa Workshop, June 2003: resource papers and workshop proceedings. Resource paper 3. Ottawa, Canada: International Development Research Centre (IDRC) pp.55-73. (Urban Poverty and Environment Series Report 1)
Public health ; Risks ; Urban agriculture ; Wastewater ; Water quality ; Decision making / Africa South of Sahara
(Location: IWMI-HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.5 G110 KER Record No: H039377)
http://www.google.lk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=Health+risks+and+benefits+of+urban+and+peri-urban+agriculture+and+livestock+(UA)+in+Sub-Saharan+Africa%3A+Resource+papers+and+workshop+proceedings&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fweb.idrc.ca%2Fuploads%2Fuser-S%2F11661323001Final_Benefits_of_Urban_Ag_in_SSA.doc&ei=zUUmT6X6HcPjrAeA09GVCA&usg=AFQjCNFCyjHgbztbbMxik82ttVOfHOoOgw
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H039377.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H039377.pdf
(0.22 MB)
5 Osei, Kwame Boateng; Keraita, Bernard; Akple, Maxwell Selase Kwasi. 2007. Gyinyase Organic Vegetable Growers’ Association in Kumasi, Ghana. Urban Agriculture Magazine, 17:38-40.
Vegetables ; Urban agriculture ; Irrigated farming ; Organic agriculture ; Farmers associations ; Marketing / Ghana / Kumasi / Gyinyase
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.3 G200 BOA Record No: H040209)
http://www.ruaf.org/sites/default/files/uam17_article15.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H040209.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H040209.pdf
(0.22 MB) (226.26 KB)
6 Keraita, Bernard; Drechsel, Pay; Konradsen, F. 2007. Safer options for irrigated urban farming. LEISA Magazine, 23(3):26-28.
Urban agriculture ; Vegetables ; Irrigated farming ; Water pollution ; Public health ; Health hazards ; Food security / Ghana
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.5 G200 KER Record No: H040414)
http://subscriptions.leisa.info/index.php?url=getblob.php&o_id=191138&a_id=211&a_seq=0
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H040414.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H040414.pdf
7 Drechsel, Pay; Keraita, Bernard; Amoah, Philip; Abaidoo, R. C.; Raschid-Sally, Liqa; Bahri, Akissa. 2007. Reducing health risks from wastewater use in urban and peri-urban Sub-Saharan Africa: Applying the 2006 WHO guidelines. Paper presented at the 6th IWA Specialist Conference on Wastewater Reclamation and Reuse for Sustainability, Belgium, October 2006. 7p.
Water reuse ; Wastewater ; Urban agriculture ; Vegetables ; Health hazards ; Irrigation practices / Africa South of Sahara
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.5 G110 DRE Record No: H040435)
(0.15 MB)
8 Keraita, Bernard; Konradsen, F.; Drechsel, Pay; Abaidoo, R. C. 2007. Effect of low-cost irrigation methods on microbial contamination of lettuce irrigated with untreated wastewater. Tropical Medicine and International Health, 12(Suppl. 2):15-22.
Irrigation practices ; Wastewater irrigation ; Vegetables ; Lettuces ; Urban agriculture ; Helminths ; Laboratory techniques ; Furrow irrigation ; Sprinkler irrigation ; Drip irrigation ; Biological contamination ; Health hazards ; Risks / Ghana / Kumasi
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.5 G200 KER Record No: H040534)
9 Keraita, Bernard; Konradsen, F.; Drechsel, Pay; Abaidoo, R. C. 2007. Reducing microbial contamination on wastewater-irrigated lettuce by cessation of irrigation before harvesting. Tropical Medicine and International Health, 12(Suppl. 2):7-13.
Wastewater irrigation ; Vegetables ; Lettuces ; Urban agriculture ; Health hazards ; Risks ; Laboratory techniques ; Biological contamination / Ghana / Kumasi
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.5 G200 KER Record No: H040535)
10 Keraita, Bernard; Drechsel, Pay; Agyekum, W.; Hope, Lesley. 2007. In search of safer irrigation water for urban vegetable farming in Ghana. Urban Agriculture Magazine, 19: 17-19.
Wastewater irrigation ; Vegetables ; Groundwater ; Farm ponds ; Wells ; Water quality / Ghana / Accra / Kumasi / Tamale
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: P 7989 Record No: H040811)
http://www.ruaf.org/sites/default/files/UAmagazine%2019%20H6.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H040811.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H040811.pdf
11 Boateng, Osei Kwame; Keraita, Bernard; Akple, Maxwell Selase Kwasi. 2007. Organic vegetable growers combine for market impact. Appropriate Technology, 34(4): 26-28.
Farmers associations ; Farmers organizations ; Vegetable growing ; Organic agriculture ; Marketing ; Credit / Ghana / Kumasi
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 630.92 G200 BOA Record No: H040939)
Like many sub-Saharan African cities, Kumasi, in Ghana, has many farmers producing vegetables in and around the city. Often these farmers form associations and in Kumasi some of these associations have linked up to form bigger organisations that are now having an impact on the market. Osei Kwame Boateng, Bernard Keraita and Maxwell S.K. Akple report on the impact being made by the Gyinyase Organic Vegetable Growers' Association (GOVGA). GOVGA was formed by merging three farmers' organisations - Farmwell Organic Vegetable Growers' Association, Progressive Vegetable Growers' Association and Quarters Vegetable Growers' Association - from around the suburb of Gyinyase, which is about 10 km from the city centre. Formed in June 2006, it has 36 registered members, all of whom are fulltime commercial organic vegetable farmers. Farming is very intensive as each farmer holds an average of only 0.1 ha. Almost all lettuce, which is the most commonly grown vegetable in irrigated urban vegetable farming in Kumasi, comes from these sites. The other sites not represented by GOVGA mainly grow spring onions and cabbage.
12 Keraita, Bernard; Drechsel, Pay; Konradsen, F.; Vreugdenhil, R. C. 2008. Potential of simple filters to improve microbial quality of irrigation water used in urban vegetable farming in Ghana. Journal of Environmental Science and Health, A43: 749–755.
Urban agriculture ; Vegetables ; Filtration ; Filters ; Wastewater treatment ; Wastewater irrigation / Ghana / Kumasi
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.1 G200 KER Record No: H041142)
Irrigation water used for growing vegetables in urban areas in many low- income countries is contaminated with untreated wastewater. Many wastewater treatment methods are economically prohibitive and continued use of such irrigation water pose health risks for vegetable consumers and farmers. As part of a larger study on possible interventions for health risk reduction, the potential of simple interventions was explored. Column slow sand filters with three levels of sand depths (0.5 m, 0.75mand 1m) and fabric filters made of nylon, cotton and netting were assessed. More than 600 water samples were analyzed for helminth eggs and thermotolerant coliforms. Flow rates were also measured. From slow sand filters, 71–96% of helminths and 2 log units (from 7 to 5 log units) of thermotolerant coliforms were removed. Sand depths had no significant influence in the removal. Lower removal rates were achieved by fabric filters, with an average removal of 12–62% for helminth eggs and 1 log unit for thermotolerant coliforms. Nylon filters had higher removal rates especially for helminth eggs (58%). Average flow rates for sand filters were 3 m per day and abric filters had steady flows of about 1.5 liters per second, but flow reduced with time in cotton filters. The simple filters tested improved the microbial quality of irrigation water and could easily be used in combination with other interventions to further reduce health risks. The unit cost of the filters tested also appear acceptable to farmers and some incentives like better prices will motivate many farmers to invest in such simple interventions.
13 Drechsel, Pay; Keraita, Bernard; Amoah, Philip; Abaidoo, R. C.; Raschid-Sally, Liqa; Bahri, Akissa. 2008. Reducing health risks from wastewater use in urban and peri-urban sub-Saharan Africa: applying the 2006 WHO guidelines. Water Science and Technology, 57(9): 1461-1466.
Water reuse ; Wastewater ; Urban agriculture ; Vegetables ; Health hazards ; Irrigation practices / Africa South of Sahara
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.5 G110 DRE Record No: H041185)
Where rapid urbanization is outpacing urban capacities to provide sound sanitation and wastewater treatment, most water sources in city vicinity are heavily polluted. This is of great concern as many of the leafy vegetables eaten raw in the cities are produced in these areas. Following the new WHO guidelines, different non-treatment options at farm, market, and kitchen level were field tested for health risk reduction with special consideration to efficiency and adoption potential. As most households are used to vegetable washing (although ineffectively), an important entry point for risk reduction is the increased emphasis of the new guidelines on food preparation measures. A combination of safer irrigation practices (water fetching, on-farm treatment, and application), the allocation of farmland with better water sources, and improved vegetable washing in kitchens appear to be able to reduce the potential risk of infections significantly, although it might not be possible to reach the ideal threshold without some kind of wastewater treatment. The on-farm trials carried out in Ghana also explored the limitation of other risk reduction measures, such as drip irrigation, crop restrictions and cessation of irrigation under local circumstances considering possible incentives for behaviour change.
14 Keraita, Bernard; Drechsel, Pay; Konradsen, Flemming. 2008. Using on-farm sedimentation ponds to improve microbial quality of irrigation water in urban vegetable farming in Ghana. Water Science and Technology, 57(4): 519-525.
Irrigated farming ; Vegetables ; Water quality ; Farm ponds ; Sedimentation ; Irrigation water ; Helminths ; Coliform bacteria ; Assessment / Ghana / Kumasi
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.6.2 G200 KER Record No: H041186)
This paper presents an assessment of the potential of using on-farm ponds to reduce levels of microbial contamination in wastewater -contaminated irrigation water. The study involved observations on the use of ponds in urban agriculture in Kumasi, Ghana, and more than 300 irrigation water samples were taken for physico-chemical and microbial laboratory analysis. The study shows that while on-farm ponds are commonly used, their potential to remove pathogens through sedimentation has not been fully optimized. Two-thirds of helminth eggs were in the sediments and careful collection of irrigation water without disturbing sediments reduced helminth eggs in irrigation water by about 70%. Helminth eggs reduced from about 5 to less than 1 egg per litre in three days in both dry and wet seasons while thermotolerant coliforms took six days in the dry season to reduce from about 8 to 4 log units per 100 ml, to meet the WHO guidelines. For optimal pathogen removal, better pond designs, farmers’ training on collection of water with minimal disturbance and any other means to enhance sedimentation and pathogen die-off can be essential components of a multiple- barrier approach complementing farm-based measures like simple filtration techniques, better irrigation methods and post-harvest contamination.
15 Hope, Lesley; Keraita, Bernard; Akple, Maxwell Selase Kwasi. 2008. Use of irrigation water to wash vegetables grown on urban farms in Kumasi, Ghana. Urban Agriculture Magazine, 20:29-30.
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H041618)
http://www.ruaf.org/sites/default/files/BDU-08063-UAM20.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H041618.pdf
https://vlibrary.iwmi.org/pdf/H041618.pdf
(2.70 MB) (2.70 MB)
16 Keraita, Bernard; Jimenez, B.; Drechsel, Pay. 2008. Extent and implications of agricultural reuse of untreated, partly treated and diluted wastewater in developing countries. CAB Reviews: Perspectives in Agriculture, Veterinary Science, Nutrition and Natural Resources, 3(058):1-15.
Wastewater ; Water quality ; Water reuse ; Wastewater irrigation ; Environmental effects ; Health hazards
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.5 G000 KER Record No: H041633)
17 Keraita, Bernard; Drechsel, Pay; Konradsen, Flemming. 2008. Perceptions of farmers on health risks and risk reduction measures in wastewater-irrigated urban vegetable farming in Ghana. Journal of Risk Research, 11(8):1047-1061.
Wastewater irrigation ; Vegetables ; Health hazards ; Farmers ; Risk management / Ghana / Accra / Kumasi
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: e-copy only Record No: H041841)
(0.21 MB)
Most irrigation water used in urban vegetable farming in Ghana is contaminated with untreated wastewater. This poses health risks to farmers and consumers. As part of a study to explore options for health risk reduction, this paper summarizes farmers’ perceptions on health risks and possible risk reduction measures. Participatory research methods and techniques such as focus group discussions, in-depth interviews and visualization techniques were used for data collection based on methodological triangulation. The findings showed that farmers were aware that untreated wastewater posed health risks. Occupational health risks like skin infections were perceived to have the greatest risks and not nematode infections and bacterial diseases which are usually associated with wastewater irrigation. Possible health risks to consumers were rated very low and many farmers said that they were sensitized on this through media and projects. Farmers perceived many of the risk reduction measures suggested in the international guidelines as unsuitable and identified simple and low-cost measures which they could easily adopt. They were willing to adopt risk reduction measures to avoid further pressure from the media, authorities and the general public, especially if they had some incentives. These findings demonstrate the need to involve farmers as early as possible in intervention projects especially in informal farming practices, like urban agriculture, where restrictions are difficult to implement. This will ensure that their perceptions, constraints or any other required incentives for adopting interventions are considered, hence leading to developing more appropriate interventions.
18 Hope, Lesley; Cofie, Olufunke; Keraita, Bernard; Drechsel, Pay. 2009. Gender and urban agriculture: the case of Accra, Ghana. In Hovorka, A.; de Zeeuw, H.; Njenga, M. (Eds). Women feeding cities: mainstreaming gender in urban agriculture and food security. Warwickshire, UK: Practicle Action Publishing. pp.65-78.
Gender ; Urban agriculture ; Women's participation ; Labor ; Agricultural production ; Vegetables ; Crop production ; Farmers ; Decision making / Ghana
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: 338 G000 HOR Record No: H042153)
(2.66 MB)
19 Bos, R.; Carr, R.; Keraita, Bernard. 2010. Assessing and mitigating wastewater-related health risks in low-income countries: an introduction. In Drechsel, Pay; Scott, C. A.; Raschid-Sally, Liqa; Redwood, M.; Bahri, Akissa (Eds.). Wastewater irrigation and health: assessing and mitigating risk in low-income countries. London, UK: Earthscan; Ottawa, Canada: International Development Research Centre (IDRC); Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). pp.29-47. (Also in French).
Wastewater irrigation ; Health hazards ; Risk assessment ; Risk management ; Diseases ; Developing countries
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.5 G000 DRE Record No: H042602)
(0.20 MB)
In and around urban areas pollution of natural water bodies is on the rise. As a result, wastewater irrigation is an increasingly common reality around most cities in the developing world. For reasons of technical capacity or economics, effective treatment may not be available for years to come; therefore, international guidelines to safeguard farmers and consumers must be practical and offer feasible riskmanagement options. This chapter provides an introduction to microbiological hazards. These can be addressed best in a step-wise risk assessment and management approach starting with wastewater treatment where possible, and supported by different pathogen barriers from farm to fork. A major change in the most recent WHO Guidelines for the safe use of wastewater, excreta and greywater in agriculture and aquaculture (WHO, 2006) agriculture is the focus on a holistic approach to achieving health-based targets, instead of prescribing irrigation waterquality threshold levels that are often unattainable. The health-based targets should not be read as absolute values but as goals to be attained in the short, medium or long term depending on the country’s technical capacity and institutional or economic conditions. Local standards and actual implementation should progressively develop as the country moves up the sanitation ladder. While healthrisk assessments are recommended to identify entry points for risk reduction and health-based targets, the Guidelines also offer shortcuts in situations where research capacities and data are constrained.
20 Keraita, Bernard; Konradsen, F.; Drechsel, Pay. 2010. Farm-based measures for reducing microbiological health risks for consumers from informal wastewater-irrigated agriculture. In Drechsel, Pay; Scott, C. A.; Raschid-Sally, Liqa; Redwood, M.; Bahri, Akissa (Eds.). Wastewater irrigation and health: assessing and mitigating risk in low-income countries. London, UK: Earthscan; Ottawa, Canada: International Development Research Centre (IDRC); Colombo, Sri Lanka: International Water Management Institute (IWMI). pp.189-207. (Also in French).
Wastewater irrigation ; Health hazards ; Vegetables ; Wastewater treatment ; Filtration ; Water storage ; Ponds ; Irrigation practices ; Irrigation scheduling ; Developing countries / West Africa / Ghana / Burkina Faso / Togo / Senegal
(Location: IWMI HQ Call no: IWMI 631.7.5 G000 DRE Record No: H042610)
(0.64 MB)
This chapter presents farm-based measures that have been developed and tested in the informal irrigation sector to reduce microbiological health risks for consumers from wastewater irrigation of vegetables commonly eaten uncooked. The measures target poor smallholder farmers or farmer associations in developing countries as part of a multiple-barrier approach for health-risk reduction along the farm to fork pathway. Measures discussed include treatment of irrigation water using ponds, filters and wetland systems; water application techniques; irrigation scheduling; and crop selection. In addition, the chapter highlights some practical strategies to implement these measures, based largely on field experiences in Ghana. Although most measures discussed do not fully eliminate possible health risks, they can significantly complement other pathogen barriers. Which measures fit, either alone or in combination, will depend on local site characteristics and practices. Further studies are required to develop new measures or adapt them to other irrigation practices and systems in developing countries.
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