A STEM-based partnership between a public university and the private sector in Ghana Daniel A. Wubah University of Florida/Virginia Tech February

Outline  Background  Examples of public-private partnerships in Ghana  Densu delta restoration project  Lessons learned

Ghana

Overview of Ghana  Former British protectorate called Gold Coast; first democratic sub-Saharan country to become independent (March ); named after ancient African empire.  Approximately 92,000 sq miles (about the size of Oregon); Accra (capital city) is located at lat. 5°33 ′ and long. N 0°15 ′ W.  Approximately 23 million people (2007).  For 2008, GDP was $18 billion and nominal per capita income was $800.

Private-public partnerships (PPP)  Advocacy: Private sector often initiate efforts to tackle local problems before national guidelines are developed.  Groups: Private sector includes traditional units, non-governmental investors and ‘private not for profit’ institutions.  Impact: Public sector provides access to capacity building to move the projects beyond local communities.

Major sectors of PPP in Ghana  Agriculture  Health care  Education  Information technology  Environmental

Agriculture  Partners: University of Science and Technology, Ghana government and private farmers  Focuses on helping local people to improve practices and yield  Better results when partnership is built on the traditional system  Outcome: Oil palm, pineapple, livestock and poultry and salt

Health care  Partners: Private clinics, Ghana government, University of Ghana Medical School  Provide screening and increase awareness about HIV/AIDS  Filled a gap that existed due to lack of adequate government support while providing timely hands-on experiences for medical students

Odorna Clinic

Education  Partners: Selected secondary schools, NGOs and University of Cape Coast  Involves a full semester teaching practice  Provides learning experiences for pre-service science teachers in real-life situations  Outcome: Grades of students improve and they outperform peers on national exams e.g. Wesley Girls High School

Information technology  Kofi Annan Center of Excellence in ICT  Partners: Governments of Ghana and India, and local universities  First advanced information technology institute  Has first supercomputer in West Africa and serves hub for ICT in the sub-region

Environmental situation  More than fifty lagoons and estuaries along the coast of Ghana.  Lack of adequate management and protection plan; none in the National Park System.  Over 80% of the migratory waterfowls in Ghana stop at these sites; about 76 species of birds per sq. mile.

Environmental challenge  Protected under Ramsar Convention because they harbor more than 10% of Atlantic Flyway populations.  Serves as only nesting sites for endangered species of sea turtles in West Africa.  Ghana Environmental Action Plan was established to protect five wetland protected areas.

Lagoons  Densu River delta  Muni lagoon  Sakumo lagoon  Anlo-Keta lagoon  Songor lagoon

Ghana

Keta Lagoon

Partners  World Bank: Environmental Resource Management program  Ghana: Department of Game and Wildlife  University of Cape Coast: School of Science (NSF REU host site)  Local community

Goals  Restore wetland ecosystem  Safeguard wildlife habitat  Enhance sustainable productivity in the local community  Establish a management plan

Coastal wetlands management project  Created a local site management committee made up of traditional community leaders, local government representatives, and university representatives.  Established a research station/laboratory to undertake research and baseline studies to determine the state of aquatic ecosystems.

Coastal wetlands management project  Developed a facility that supported environmental education and provided resources to work with schoolchildren.  Monitored key hydrological, limnological, and biological indicators throughout the project.  REU student participation

Outcomes  Protected crucial riparian and coastal areas and important habitat for migratory waterfowl.  Involving local stakeholders in planning and improving resource management and economic activities was critical.  Raised general public awareness of environmental issues in the local community.

Challenges  Initial resistance by local communities  Sensitivity to local customs  Delineating role of each partner  Clear plan to sustain outcome

Lessons learned  Choice of partners can shape the outcome  Key to explain the operational aspects and define the the critical factors for success  Role of university differ based on partnership type and funding source

Summary  The PPP was an excellent vehicle to address a local problem with global implications  Increased the environmental awareness and improved economic standard of the local people  US students had life changing opportunities where service learning expanded classroom learning  Project serves as a model for other STEM-based PPP in Ghana

Thank you