Awareness of Environmental Change, Climate Variability, and Their Role in Prevalence of Mosquitoes among Urban Dwellers in Southern Ghana.

Precious Agbeko Dzorgbe Mattah, Godfred Futagbi, Memuna Mawusi Mattah
Author Information
  1. Precious Agbeko Dzorgbe Mattah: Institute of Environment and Sanitation Studies (IESS), University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana. ORCID
  2. Godfred Futagbi: Department of Animal Biology and Conservation Science, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.
  3. Memuna Mawusi Mattah: Department of Environment and Development Studies, Central University, Accra, Ghana.

Abstract

This study evaluates the extent to which urban residents of Accra and Sekondi-Takoradi (all of southern Ghana) were aware of environment and climate-related variability. A total of 150 questionnaires were given to adults of 40 years and above who lived in the cities for at least 35 years. SPSS version 16 was used to process the data. Results show that all respondents in Accra Metropolitan Area (AMA) and 96% of them in Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolitan Area (STMA) noted the deteriorating vegetation cover over the cities. Similarly, 93% and 83% of them in AMA and STMA, respectively, observed that land use pattern of the two cities has changed considerably. There was positive and statistically significant correlation between respondents' educational attainment and their awareness of changes in land use/land cover ( = 0.18, = 140, = 0.03). Also, 71% in AMA and 89% in STMA stated that temperature of the cities had been increasing over the years. In all, 82.9% of the respondents mentioned that they had problem with the increasing population of mosquitoes. Respondents demonstrated ample knowledge of environment and climate variability and should be engaged in preventing further environmental degradation. The top-down approach to environmental issues has failed; the bottom-up approach to environmental maintenance is needed.

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MeSH Term

Adult
Aged
Animals
Cities
Climate Change
Culicidae
Environment
Female
Ghana
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Population Dynamics

Word Cloud

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