Reuniting City and Landscape: Winneba, Ghana

Reuniting City and Landscape: Winneba, Ghana University of Virginia School of Architecture SPRING 2020

This report is dedicated to John Jay Baiden-Amissah, aka Joe Baami, whose energy, love, and dreams for his home town brought all of us together in Winneba.

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Reuniting City and Landscape

FOREWORD UNITING A CITY AND LAGOON: HUANG AND TAKAHASHI

i-iv

II. COLLABORATIVE PROCESS

27-40

WORKSHOP IN CHARLOTTESVILLE / SPRING 2019

27-29

ESTABLISHING PRIORITIES

I. OVERVIEW

BACKGROUND

1-26 1-4

OUR TEAM

1

BACKGROUND

2

PROJECT HISTORY AND GOALS

3-4

GEOGRAPHY WEST AFRICAN COASTAL LAGOONS

5-6

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY

CLIMATE

A CULTURAL HISTORY OF WINNEBA

PRELIMINARY VISION FOR CONSERVATION

31-32

PRELIMINARY VISION FOR EDUCATION

33-34

PRELIMINARY VISION FOR INFRASTRUCTURE

35-36

PRELIMINARY VISION FOR THE ECONOMY

37-38

WORKSHOP SUMMARY MAP

39-40

III. STUDENT DESIGN PROPOSALS / FALL 2019 PROJECT OVERVIEW SYSTEMS MAPPING EXERCISE

43-44

TRANSECT EXPLORATIONS

45-50

51-60

MAKING A MORE CLEAN AND WELCOMING CITY

61-88

CREATING ENVIRONMENTAL ECONOMIES 7-8

MUNI-POMADZE LAGOON

9-18

OVERVIEW BY LAGOON SITE MANAGER

9-10

TRADITIONAL MANAGEMENT PRACTICES ON MUNI LAGOON 11-12 RAMSAR TREATY SITES

13-14

LAGOON WATERSHED

15-16

FUTURE OF THE BARRIER

17-18

CURRENT PROBLEMS, THREATS , AND CHALLENGES

19-26

CLIMATE CHANGE & HUMAN PRESSURES

19-22

CHALLENGES

23-26

41-140 41-42

PRESERVING MUNI’S ECOSYSTEM

VEGETATION

30

89-118

BUILDING A RESEARCH AND ECO-TOURISM CENTER

119-144

IV. LOOKING AHEAD

145-160

V. ADDITIONAL RESEARCH AND MAPPINGS

161-204

OVERVIEW

161-162

MANGROVE RESTORATION

163-170

BIRD HABITAT RESTORATION

171-176

RECREATIONAL ECO-TOURISM

177-180

ABOAKYER FESTIVAL

181-186

SALT POND REUSE

187-190

UEW CAMPUSES

191-194

BUTTERFLY FARMING

195-198

WINNEBA CULTURAL HISTORY

199-204

full text version

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Foreword | Uniting City and Landscape: Winneba and Muni Lagoon, Ghana Over the last five years, an interdisciplinary, international collaboration of leaders and stakeholders from Winneba Ghana and the University of Virginia’s School of Architecture has been taking shape to address the immense environmental, social, and economic challenges facing the West African coastal region. Particularly along the coast, native vegetative and hydrological systems are increasingly compromised with unregulated population growth, and resulting housing and agricultural needs. As the project title ‘Reuniting City and Landscape’ implies, our project seeks to unify the sustainable futures of Winneba, a historic fishing city on the Gulf of Guinea with the adjoining Muni-Pomadze Lagoon, an internationally recognized coastal lagoon. The relational situation of cities adjoining wetlands is a commonly found settlement pattern along the Gulf of Guinea, with roughly 200 such cases found in Nigeria and Benin, and roughly 110 counted in Ghana alone. Winneba therefore stands as a valuable case study to understand these settlements and how their intertwined relationship has evolved over time. Our work has prioritized a set of immediate and long term actions, and offered a set of design and planning proposals that seek to rectify the needs of Winneba with its natural resources. We hope these results, along with the interdisciplinary planning process we undertook with broad community engagement, will inform other communities who are striving to balance the needs and outputs of urban settlements in the contested and dynamic coastal zone of water and land.

Winneba began as a small coastal fishing village reliant on its lagoon for its rich fishing, hunting and vegetation resources. Additionally, the lands and waters of Muni Lagoon enjoyed a protected status within the community who revered the lagoon as the home of the city’s sacred gods. That relationship changed as Winneba grew into a mid-sized city (population of 57,015 according to the 2010 census) in 2010, influenced by growth pressures and cultural influences from nearby capitol Accra, and the establishment of a large teachers university in the city in 1992. Ever-increasing human impacts of building encroachment, lack of water sanitation, and environmentally unsustainable agricultural practices are now irreversibly threatening the ecological health of the lagoon. Additionally, the consequences of impending climate change and sea level rise must be

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anticipated and wisely planned for. Our project is an urgent call for a restoration and management plan to re-link Muni’s environmental, cultural, and economic future to Winneba’s future prosperity. We seek a plan that gives agency to the lagoon as the primary generator for the region and driver of the ecological and socio-economic growth of Winneba.

This report documents the research, field work, and design studios carried out by students in the School of Architecture at UVA over the last several years. The work evolved out of conversations and meetings with the Ghana Wildlife Division of Forestry Commission staff, the Chief Executive’s Office and Winneba Town Officials, citizen stakeholders, the University of Education in Winneba/UEW, and University of Ghana, Legon. It represents the first combined mappings of lagoon and city, spatializing the regional context of land-water dynamics, flora, road and utility infrastructures, and livelihood and habitation demands. The report focuses on the results of two interdisciplinary design research studios carried out in 2019, when UVA students traveled to Ghana to work with students in the Department of Geography Education at UEW. The projects presented are their own self-devised, site-specific design proposals seeking to reunite Winneba and Muni Lagoon for mutual ecological, economic, social, and educational benefits.

We humbly submit these findings and recommendations and invite feedback and direction from the Winneba community. We look forward to fostering a continued collaboration in the mission to protect this rich and beautiful cultural landscape of city and lagoon.

Nancy Takahashi and Guoping Huang Spring 2020

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

O u r T e a m | U n it in g C it y a n d L a n d s c a p e : W in n e b a a n d M u n i L a g o o n , G h a n a W e a re a n in t e rd is c ip lin a r y a n d in t e r n a t io n a l t e a m o f W in n e b a t o w n o ffi c ia ls , t h e G h a n a W ild life D iv is io n o f F o re s t r y C o m m is s io n a n d a rc h it e c t u r a l d e s ig n a c a d e m ic ia n s , s c ie n t is t s , s o c io -e c o n o m is t s , a n d g e o g r a p h e r s fro m s e v e r a l u n iv e r s it ie s . W e s e e k t h is c o lla b o r a t io n o f m u lt ip le e x p e r t is e s t o d e a l w it h la r g e s c a le a n d c o m p le x s o c ia l a n d e n v iro n m e n t a l p ro b le m s a c ro s s t h e W e s t A fr ic a n c o a s t .

G u o p in g H u a n g , A s s is ta n t P ro fe s s o r D e p a r t m e n t o f U rb a n a n d E n v iro n m e n ta l P la n n in g / U n iv e rs it y o f V irg in ia N a n c y T a k a h a s h i, D is tin g u is h e d L e c t u re r, D e p a r t m e n t o f L a n d s c a p e A rc h ite c t u re / U n iv e rs it y o f V irg in ia J o h n J a y B a id e n -A m is s a h , D ire c to r / W in n e b a -C h a rlo t te s v ille S is te r C it ie s C o m m is s io n A n d re w s A g y e k u m h e n e , M u n i-P o m a d z e L a g o o n R a m s a r S ite M a n a g e r, G h a n a W ild life D iv is io n /F o re s tr y C o m m is s io n Ya w S e k y i-B a id o o , D ire c to r C e n tre In te rn a t io n a l P ro g ra m s / U n iv e rs it y o f E d u c a t io n W in n e b a S ia n D a v ie s -V o llu m , H e a d o f S c h o o l o f E n v iro n m e n ta l S c ie n c e s / U n iv e rs it y o f D e rb y U K C h a r le s A m a n k w a h , G e n e ra l S e r v ic e s M a n a g e r, W e t la n d s C o o rd in a to r/ R a m s a r N a t io n a l F o c a l P o in t / W ild life D iv is io n (F o re s t r y C o m m is s io n ) F r a n c is K a n k a m -B o a d u , W in n e b a D e v e lo p m e n t O ffi c e r / E ff u t u M u n ic ip a l A s s e m b ly E s t h e r Ye b o a h D a n s o -W ire d u , H e a d o f D e p t o f G e o g r a p h y E d u c a t io n , S e n io r L e c t u re r / U n iv e rs it y o f E d u c a t io n W In n e b a K o fi A d u -B o a h e n , S e n io r L e c t u re r D e p t o f G e o g r a p h y E d u c a t io n / U n iv e rs it y o f E d u c a t io n W in n e b a D a v id K w e k u A d d o , M u n ic ip a l A s s e m b ly P la n n in g O ffi c e r / E ff u t u M u n ic ip a l A s s e m b ly R e v e re n d E m m a n u e l A n d o h , E c o -C o n c e rn O ffi c e / R o m a n C a t h o lic M is s io n s Is a a c A d o a h , D ire c to r o f W in n e b a To w n a n d C o u n t r y P la n n in g / E ff u tu M u n ic ip a l A s s e m b ly D a n ie l K o b e n a B o r t s e G h a r t e y |N e e n y i G h a r t e y V II, P a ra m o u n t C h ie f / E ff u t u Tra d it io n a l C o u n c il V iv ia n A y e -A d d o , A c tin g M a n a g e re s s / M u n i-P o m a d z e L a g o o n , G h a n a W ild life D iv is io n (F o re s tr y C o m m is s io n )

C o n s u l t a n t s /C o n t r i b u t o r s

G a b r ie l B o t c h w e y , D e p t P o litic a l S c ie n c e / U n iv e rs it y o f E d u c a t io n W in n e b a A n d y A g o rd a h , C e n tre In te rn a tio n a l P ro g ra m m e s / U n iv e rs it y o f E d u c a t io n W in n e b a S e t h A . To m p o li, C e n tre In te rn a tio n a l P ro g ra m m e s / U n iv e rs it y o f E d u c a t io n W in n e b a B e n ja m in A k u e t t e h , G IS c o n s u lta n t L a w re n c e B a n d , E rn e s t H . E rn P ro fe s s o r, D e p a r t m e n t o f E n v iro n m e n ta l S c ie n c e s / U n iv e rs it y o f V irg in ia J e a n in e B r a it h w a it e , P ro fe s s o r o f P u b lic P o lic y B a t te n S c h o o l o f L e a d e rs h ip a n d P u b lic P o lic y / U n iv e rs it y o f V irg in ia M a t t h e w S e ib e r t , A s s is ta n t P ro fe s s o r, D e p a r t m e n t o f L a n d s c a p e A rc h ite c t u re / U n iv e rs it y o f V irg in ia M ic h a e l B e a m a n , A s s is ta n t P ro fe s s o r, D e p a r t m e n t o f A rc h ite c tu re / U n iv e rs it y o f V irg in ia H e n r y P u fa a J r., H P E R S fa c u lt y / U n iv e rs it y o f E d u c a t io n W in n e b a D r. A lb e r t M . W r ig h t , S e n io r A d v is o r / W a te r a n d S a n ita t io n P ro g ra m (W S P ) o f t h e W o rld B a n k B a la M u llo t h , A s s is ta n t P ro fe s s o r o f P u b lic P o lic y / B a t te n S c h o o l /U n iv e rs it y o f V irg in ia C h a r it y D in k o , E n tre p re n e u r, F o u n d e r / C E O o f N o r t h s h e a B u t te r / C h a rlo t te s v ille Va D a le J o h n s o n , E x e c u tiv e D ire c to r o f H e le n P ro je c t In te rn a t io n a l / C h a rlo t te s v ille Va K a re n C o o p e r, S e c re ta r y o f H e le n P ro je c t In te rn a t io n a l / C h a rlo t te s v ille Va P h ilip J o h n s o n , M . h o r tic u ltu re / U n iv e rs it y o f G h a n a L e g o n S a m u e l A d a fi a , M . h o r tic u ltu re / U n iv e rs it y o f G h a n a L e g o n J o n a t h a n K p o d o A s s e m b ly m a n w ith K o fi A h ia d z o r a n d G id e o n A d ia d z o r / o p in io n le a d e rs A k o s u a V illa g e L e b o u t A k o r la t s e , F is h e rm a n a n d S a lte r B e r n a rd A s a m o a h B o a t e n g , E x e c u t iv e D ire c to r G h a n a W ild life C o m m is s io n D ic k s o n Ya w A g y e m a n , W e tla n d s O p e ra t io n s M a n a g e r F o re s t r y C o m m is s io n /W ild life D iv is io n

S tu d e n ts fr o m th e U n iv e r s it y o f V ir g in ia M a s te r o f U rb a n & E n v iro n m e n ta l P la n n in g P ro g ra m S t u d e n t s : A a ro n C la r k , A lic ia S m it h , H a le y L lo y d , M a r v in H o d g e s , P h ilip W h it e , R a c h e l H a y n e s ,

T im o t h y W in c h e s t e r, S a r a h W is s e m a n , Z h u o y a Z h o u , C h e n jie X io n g , R a c h e l M o o n , K u i C a i, P r a n ja l S h a r m a M a s te r o f L a n d s c a p e A rc h ite c tu re P ro g ra m S t u d e n t s : X u e t o n g L iu , H a n g y u S h i, R u W u , Z iq in g Ye , Z h a o w e i Yu , F a n g li Z h a n g , X in h u i C h e n , Yu C h e n g , C h a r lo t t e H ig g in s o n , Q in m e n g Yu , M e n g y u a n D u a n , X ia o w e i L in M a s te r o f A rc h ite c tu re S tu d e n ts : B r a n d o n A d a m s , J o s h u a H a d le y -G o g g in , T a y lo r K it c h e n s , Z i Z h u o M a s te r o f P u b lic P o lic y S tu d e n t: E liz a b e t h S p a c h B a c h e lo r o f S c ie n c e in A rc h ite c tu re P ro g ra m S t u d e n t : C h a n t io n n a W illis , C a r ly To m in o v ic h , C a ro lin e C a r r G r a n t , K e a t o n F is h e r, A n d re a A r a g o n , S a r a H a ll, T a r in J o n e s , G r a n t K u c z le r B a c h e lo r o f A r ts S tu d e n t: J o s e p h S n it z e r

S tu d e n ts fr o m D e p a r tm e n t o f G e o g ra p h y E d u c a tio n a t th e U n iv e r s it y o f E d u c a tio n W in n e b a

E m m a n u e l Ye b o a h O k y e re , N e ls o n Ye b o a h B o a n u , A r m a h S a m u e l, S e n d e r K y e re m e h A m p a b e n g , V in c e n t K w a d w o K o n a d u , S a m u e l A g y e k u m , Is Ia h A c q u a h , K w a d w o F r im p o n g , E b e n e n z e r T a k y i, E r n e s t in a F r im p o m a a , P r is c illa A n t r a k w a , C h r is t o p h e r B e n fo h , R ic h a rd O p p o n g A g y e m a n D u a h , H a p p y A m a D e lig h t , P r is c illa A g y e i M e n s a h S p e c ia l t h a n k s t o t h e s e in d iv id u a ls w h o h e lp e d b u ild o u r re s e a rc h : N a n a K w e s i A t t a h , Trib a l C h ie f, C a p e C o a s t G h a n a o W illia m H a n n a , E U A m b a s s a d o r to G h a n a J a c k R u it h e n b e k , S e n io r C o n s u lta n t W o rld B a n k N a n a A c h e o m p o n g G h a r t e y , W in n e b a -C h a rlo t te s v ille S is te r C it ie s C o m m is s io n

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Reuniting City and Landscape

City of Winneba Overview Map

Prepared by University of Virginia School of Architecture | Spring 2019 iv

Reuniting City and Landscape BACKGRO UND M u n i L a g o o n ’s re la t io n s h ip t o t h e c it y o f W in n e b a is lo n g -s t a n d in g , b u t it h a s n o t a lw a y s b e e n fu lly u n d e r s t o o d o r e m b r a c e d . B u t W in n e b a o f t o d a y c a n b e e x p la in e d t h ro u g h s e v e r a l id e n t it ie s o r p o t e n t ia l fu t u re o p p o r t u n it ie s t h a t a re b a s e d o n t h e c it y ’s p ro x im it y t o it s n e ig h b o r in g la g o o n .

F ro m t h e b e g in n in g t h e c it y ’s fo u n d in g m y t h d e s c r ib e s t h e E ff u t u t r ib e ’s m ig r a t io n fro m M a li in s e a rc h o f a s a fe s e t t le m e n t . T h e lo n g jo u r n e y e n d e d a t o p t h e la g o o n ’s p ro m in e n t la n d m a r k M a n k u M o u n t a in fro m w h ic h t h e y fi r s t v ie w e d t h e la g o o n a n d o c e a n a n d d e c id e d t o s e t t le . F o r t h is re a s o n a n d fo r c e n t u r ie s , M u n i e n jo y e d s a c re d s t a t u s a s t h e h o m e o f t h e lo c a l g o d P e n k e O t u , a n d w a s p ro t e c t e d t h ro u g h c o m m u n it y -u p h e ld t a b o o s , s u c h a s p ro h ib it in g fi s h in g in t h e la g o o n o n W e d n e s d a y s . T h is a n d o t h e r t a b o o s re s u lt e d in s u s t a in a b le fi s h p o p u la t io n s , a n d re s t r ic t e d h u m a n p re s e n c e o n t h e la g o o n in t h e p a s t , b u t t o d a y ille g a l fi s h in g p r a c t ic e s a n d a m o re la x re g a rd fo r t a b o o s a re h u r t in g fi s h in g . T h e n e ig h b o r in g , s y m b io t ic re la t io n s h ip o f c it y a n d la g o o n is a ls o n o w b e in g t h re a t e n e d b y h o u s in g e n c ro a c h m e n t in t h e la g o o n , d e fo re s t a t io n , u n t re a t e d s a n it a r y w a s t e fl o w s , a n d a g ro -c h e m ic a l r u n o ff fro m e v e r g ro w in g a g r ic u lt u r a l d e m a n d s -- w h ic h c o m b in e d , a re w o r s e n in g w a t e r q u a lit y .

A s t ro n g la g o o n -c it y c o n n e c t io n h a s b e e n c e n t r a l t o t h e n a t io n a lly -c e le b r a t e d A b o a k y e r F e s t iv a l, w h ic h d r a w s t h o u s a n d s o f v is it o r s t o W in n e b a e a c h M a y . T h e fe s t iv a l re c o n fi r m s t h e t o w n ’s d e p e n d e n c e o n t h e fe r t ile re s o u rc e s o f M u n i. C o m p e t in g w a r r io r g ro u p s a re s e n t o u t fro m t h e c it y in t o t h e la g o o n ’s h u n t in g g ro u n d s t o c a p t u re a n a t iv e b u s h b u c k a n d p re s e n t it t o t h e P a r a m o u n t C h ie f t o e n s u re t h e b le s s in g s o f P e n k e O t u . T h e s u c c e s s o f t h e a n n u a l fe s t iv a l h u n t is c r it ic a lly im p o r t a n t fo r p e r p e t u a t in g t h e c it y ’s c u lt u r a l id e n t it y a n d e c o n o m ie s b u ilt a ro u n d t h e fe s t iv a l, b u t is r a is e d -in t o -q u e s t io n a s w ild life p o p u la t io n s in t h e la g o o n a re b e c o m in g s c a rc e r d u e t o h a b it a t lo s s a n d d e c lin in g w a t e r q u a lit y .

W in n e b a a ls o is h o m e t o G h a n a ’s la rg e s t fl a g s h ip t e a c h e r s ’ u n iv e r s it y c a lle d t h e U n iv e r s it y o f E d u c a t io n W in n e b a . W it h it s 4 5 ,0 0 0 s t u d e n t p o p u la t io n , la n d h o ld in g s , a n d fi n a n c ia l p re s e n c e in t h e c it y , U E W is a m a jo r fa c t o r in t h e t o w n ’s c h a r a c t e r a n d fu t u re . H is t o r ic a lly t h e u n iv e r s it y ’s p o lit ic a l a n d s o c ia l t ie s t o it s h o s t c it y a n d t h e la g o o n w e re m in im a l, b u t m o re re c e n t ly , m e m b e r s o f t h e a d m in is t r a t io n h a v e e x p re s s e d d e s ire s t o o u t re a c h t o t h e c it y a n d c o m m u n it y . In p a r t ic u la r, U E W ’s D e p a r t m e n t o f G e o g r a p h y E d u c a t io n h a s b e c o m e a t t u n e d t o t h e p re s e n c e o f n e a r b y M u n i a n d t h e o p p o r t u n it ie s t o u s e t h e la g o o n a s a h a n d s -o n le a r n in g la b o r a t o r y , t h u s s t re n g t h e n in g t ie s b e t w e e n c o m m u n it y a n d la g o o n . In 2 0 1 9 , U E W t o o k t h e re m a r k a b le le a d in e s t a b lis h in g a L a g o o n M a n a g e m e n t C o u n c il, g a t h e r in g t o g e t h e r re p re s e n t a t io n fro m t h e U n iv e r s it y o f E d u c a t io n , M u n ic ip a l A s s e m b ly , t r a d it io n a l a u t h o r it y , L a n d s C o m m is s io n , a n d U n iv e r s it y o f V irg in ia t o a d d re s s c r it ic a l is s u e s a n d s o lu t io n s s u r ro u n d in g t h e h e a lt h a n d e c o n o m y o f t h e c it y a n d la g o o n . T h ro u g h re s e a rc h a n d t e a c h in g , U E W h a s t h e p o t e n t ia l t o b r in g n e w v a lu e t o a n d e n g a g e m e n t w it h t h e la g o o n .

In 1 9 8 1 t h e w a t e r s o f M u n i L a g o o n w e re d e e m e d h e a lt h y . T h e la g o o n , a lo n g w it h o n ly fo u r o t h e r c o a s t a l la g o o n s in G h a n a , w a s p la c e d o n t h e in t e r n a t io n a l R a m s a r C o n v e n t io n L is t , a g lo b a l n e t w o r k o f w e t la n d s d e s ig n e d t o p ro t e c t w a t e r w a y s a n d b ird m ig r a t o r y p a t t e r n s . T h e d e s ig n a t io n g a v e M u n i p ro t e c t io n a n d a u t h o r it y u n d e r t h e W ild life D iv is io n , w h ic h e s t a b lis h e d p o lic ie s , b e g a n m o n it o r in g t h e la n d a n d w a t e r, a n d e d u c a t e d t h e W in n e b a c o m m u n it y a b o u t t h e la g o o n p re s e r v a t io n . In c a llin g fo r w is e m a n a g e m e n t o f t h e la n d a n d it s re s o u rc e s fo r w ild life , fl o r a , a n d h u m a n s , R a m s a r a n d t h e W ild life D iv is io n re a s s e r t e d t h e c o m m u n it y ’s o r ig in a l c o n n e c t io n t o M u n i L a g o o n , a n d c a lle d u p o n W in n e b a t o b e it s s t e w a rd in p e r p e t u it y .

W in n e b a a n d M u n i s h a re a lo n g a n d in s e p a r a b le h is t o r y t h a t h a s a n d w ill c o n t in u e t o e v o lv e a n d b e s h a p e d b y it s c it iz e n s , s t a k e h o ld e r s , g o v e r n m e n t s , a n d in s t it u t io n s . Im p e n d in g c lim a t e c h a n g e w ill re s h a p e t h e c it y /la g o o n re la t io n s h ip h o w , a n d w h e n , s e a -le v e l r is e p re d ic t io n s p la y o u t , a n d t h e c u r re n t c lo s e d la g o o n b e c o m e s a n o p e n e s t u a r y t o t h e G u lf. T h e fu t u re b r in g s c h a lle n g e s , b u t a ls o t h e p o t e n t ia l fo r b e t t e r u r b a n a n d la g o o n e c o lo g ic a l h e a lt h , w h ic h c a n b e c a p it a liz e d in t o n e w lo c a l liv e lih o o d s , in c lu d in g fi e ld re s e a rc h , a q u a c u lt u re , o rg a n ic fa r m in g , a n d e d u c a t io n a l a n d re c re a t io n a l t o u r is m . To a c h ie v e a s u s t a in a b le v ia b le fu t u re , W in n e b a w ill n e e d t o re -e m b r a c e it s r ic h h is t o r ic a n d c u lt u r a l p a s t w it h M u n i, a n d c o m m it t o a s h a re d e c o lo g ic a l a n d e c o n o m ic fu t u re .

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

The Project | History and Goals PROJECT HISTORY The project was launched in 2013 when UVA School of Architecture Lecturer Nancy Takahashi traveled to Ghana with John Jay Baiden-Amissah. BaidenAmissah’s connections and background as Head City Planner for the city of Accra and his intimate knowledge of the Central Region having grown up in Winneba, led to the formation of a project that would focus on Winneba and the future of West African coastal cities. The 2014 summer launched the first of several investigative research trips with small teams of UVA Architecture graduate students looking at topics ranging from urban vegetation to Effutu cultural history. In that first summer, a team of students from UVA and University of Ghana Legon recorded the high water line markings along the barrier shoreline. Led by Dr. Sian Davies-Vollum, from the University of Sheffield Hallam (subsequently University of Derby U.K.) who joined the team, this documentation was the first step in quantifying the impact of impending sea level rise on the narrow coastal barrier that currently separates ocean from lagoon. From this, a first important map was created showing how rising seas would impact existing neighborhoods along the lagoon water/ land edge.

Over the next three years, a broadening network of experts and stakeholders across Winneba evolved, including the Effutu Municipal Assembly, Mayor’s Office, and offices in City Planning, City Engineering, and Economic Development. An early introduction that would prove to be critical was to Mr. Andrews Agyekumhene, who through his day-to-day responsibility as Site Manager managing the land use of Muni, had intimate knowledge of the lagoon processes and issues. His influence was the critical factor directing our focus to the issue of human dependency and impact on the lagoon. This set us on our current course to map city and lagoon in order to understand their shared systems and infrastructures, and potential mutual educational, ecological, and economic benefits. A program to monitor and record water quality at points on the lagoon was established in 2015, and is being carried out today.

invited delegation shared their backgrounds and ideas for Muni and Winneba.

By the end of the workshop, the group arrived at a first summary map and set specific priorities for action addressing the needs for flora, wildlife, humans, and livelihoods.

In fall 2019, a graduate interdisciplinary design research studio of Landscape Architects, Architects and Planning students in the A-School was led by Takahashi and Huang. The studio took the next important step toward implementation moving from planning systems scales down to actual site scales. Through a devised series of transects that connected the city to the lagoon, students began to see how daily life is carried out on the streets, and between the UEW campuses, neighborhoods, markets, and lagoon. Based on documenting those transects in the field with UEW students over several days, UVA students arrived at their own self-devised, site specific design proposals that offered new and innovative ways to connect the lagoon and city.

Importantly, a Lagoon Management Committee has now been formed through the leadership of the Office of International Studies at UEW involving that University, Effutu Municipal Assembly, Ghana Wildlife Commission, Traditional Authority, and University of Virginia. In spring 2020, our a first report was presented to the Effutu Paramount Chief Neenyi Ghartey VII of the Traditional Authority who has lent his full support to the project. As we look to the future, we hope to continue building community consensus, and implementing the first built projects toward a re-united Winneba and Muni Lagoon.

PROJECT GOALS 1. to address the co-dependent lagoon/city relationship and assert Winneba and its citizenry as the prime potential steward and ultimate beneficiary of a healthy lagoon.

In 2018, UVA Professor in Urban and Environment Planning Guoping Huang joined the project, contributing his background in landscape planning and GIS expertise to better spatialize relationships across the lagoon/ city landscape.

In the first interdisciplinary design studio engagement for the project, UVA Architecture School students in planning and landscape architecture traveled to Ghana in spring 2019. Teamed with students from University of Education, Winneba (UEW), they shared their research and the first mappings of water quality, vegetation restoration, human settlement, and animal and fish populations. This partnership with the UEW has continued to develop through the efforts of Professor Yaw Sekyi-Baidoo who in his role as Director of Centre for International Programmes, saw the project’s potential and drew faculty from the Department of Geography Education into the research.

2. to spatialize the findings and recommendations on site maps which will aid in future planning, management and enforcement for officials.

In spring 2019, students in Charlottesville continued researching selected topics that investigated lagoon and city as biological and economic partners.

They shared these findings with a Ghanaian delegation of leaders and stakeholders who traveled to UVA in March for a three-day workshop. The

6. to approach research whose findings can contribute to other coastal lagoons in Ghana and West Africa facing similar urgent but unknown challenges with sea level rise.

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3. to factor in climate-induced sea level rise and its impact on the biodiversity of the lagoon, and city’s edge along the lagoon.

4. to value Winneba Effutu heritage and to seek a strategy that engages the traditional authorities in the shared responsibility for the lagoon.

5. to establish a continuing working relationship and assist Winneba official, academic, faith community and school age children in the task of stewarding the future health of Muni.

Reuniting City and Landscape

Team collaboration and on-site field work.

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Geography WEST AFRICAN COASTAL LAGOONS Coastal wetlands along the 550 km/340 mile gulf coast of Ghana are of vital ecological importance. A system of lagoons, river deltas, and estuaries, they provide essential ecological services that protect coastlines from storms and store and detoxify runoff polluted waters. A lagoon is defined by the National Geographic Society as “a shallow body of water that may have an opening to a larger body of water, but is also protected from it by a sandbar or coral reef.” Lagoon systems along the Gulf of Guinea in West Africa are not only unique landscapes but also important ecoregions. Coastal lagoons are formed when sand is moved by the long shore current and deposited at the entrance of a bay. As the deposition continues forming and elongating a sandbar, it eventually blocks the mouth of the bay seasonally or permanently, creating what we know as a lagoon. There is a string of hundreds of lagoons along the coast of the Gulf of Guinea from Cote d’Ivoire to Gabon, providing important habitats important habitats for diverse fauna and flora with high levels of endemism and international importance. Many coastal lagoons are now protected by the Ramsar Convention, or designated as national parks, natural reserves in their countries. West African wetlands are located along the path of two major bird migratory flyways that link discontinuous breeding grounds from Canada to West Africa and From Europe down through Africa.

They provide necessary staging grounds for migratory birds making their way southward for over-wintering over long routes. The nutrient-rich habitats of wetlands provide feeding and roosting and nesting sites for sea and shorebird species, marine sea turtles, and fish.

Coastal lagoons are also important sources of traditional livelihoods such as fishing, salting, and mangrove harvesting. They provide natural harbors and excellent means for transport as well. Settlements and cities have been established next to these lagoons because of such economic activities.

In Ghana alone, there are about 90 coastal lagoons along its 550 km long coastline. All of Ghana’s major coastal cities are immediately adjacent to one or multiple lagoons. Today, these cities in West Africa are among the ones that witness the most rapid urbanization in the world, with the annual urban population growth rate above 3%. The enormous pressure of population growth and lack of infrastructure have caused significant environmental degradation in and near these lagoons. In Accra, the capital city of Ghana, the Korle Lagoon has been degraded to a level that it was described as “one of the most polluted water bodies on earth” in 2002.

The dire environmental outlook for these lagoons has drawn attention from the global community in recent years. UNESCO is collaborating with the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) to study the effects of pollution on the Lagos Lagoon, the important waterbody next to Lagos, Nigeria, the largest and most rapidly growing city in Africa. But more endeavors are needed to turn research into actions, and to shed light on lagoons near emerging cities that are on the brink of degradation.

Of the roughly 110 plus coastal wetlands in Ghana, many have been destroyed, notably the Korle Lagoon that sits west of Accra, and services 60 % of the city’s population. It is now undergoing restoration since being identified as one of the most polluted waterways on earth from human waste and trash.

Five coastal Ghana lagoons however have been identified by Ramsar for protection in 2002—Sakuma, Keta, Songor, Densu, and Muni-Pomadze (refer to the next section). Even under protected status, Sakuma Lagoon outside

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of the dense port city of Tema is threatened by domestic waste, and the ecological integrity of Songor Lagoon west of Lake Volta is heavily threatened by large-scale salt winning industries. These cases make the point that the future health of all coastal wetlands is uncertain. Marked as being relatively healthy in 1999, Muni-Pomadze Lagoon and City of Winneba become a case study in understanding the future of communities and resources affecting millions. The central issue is how to balance ecological conservation of this resource for both wildlife and flora, while providing sustainable economic livelihoods for surrounding coastal communities.

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY Ghana is a sub-Saharan nation with a population 29.6 million situated in West Africa with on the Gulf of Guinea of the Atlantic Ocean, bordered by Burkina Fasa to the north and Cote D’Ivoire and Togo to west and east respectively.

Located at latitude 5.3622 degrees north of the Equator in the northern hemisphere, and longitude 0.6299 degrees west of the Greenwich Prime Meridian Time, Ghana straddles two climatic belts that determine climate and vegetation. To the north is the dry Sudanian bio-climatic region, influenced by the Sahara Desert to the north. This zone receives only 600-1200 mm/24”-28” annually, with a dry period lasting 5-7 months. The vegetation is a mix of open or wooded savanna grasses and tall trees. The southern half of the country, where Winneba and Muni Lagoon sit, occupies the west African-Guinean bio-climatic belt and is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean. Despite its heavy annual rainfall of 1200mm-2200mm/ 48”- 86, it too has distinct dry season from August to April when only 1-2” of precipitation will fall in a given month.

VEGETATION The Guinean Forest Belt covering south Ghana was once a rich forest ecosystem of dense forest canopy over woody understory. Over time however the forests have been irrevocably degraded as a result of increased population growth pressures, mining, bush meat hunting, and unregulated logging. Particularly problematic is agriculture (often slash and burn clearing for fields) which now employs over 50% of Ghana’s workforce as of 2019. Aerial imagery developed by USGS/EROS Center taken in 1975, 2000 and 2013 make clear the changing developments in land use and forest/savannah cover. Across the entire country, a clear pattern of expanding agricultural crop-dominated lands is indicated, in a country once densely forested. Now considered one of the most threatened forest systems in the world, the once extensive diverse areas of forested vegetation species and habitat for wildlife species has been reduced into small patches to the extent that the forest occurs now only fragments separated by agricultural communities and degraded forested lands. EROS or the Earth Resources Observation and Science Center of USGS describes this coastal lagoon landscape as a ‘derived savannah’—a mosaic of cropland, bush fallow, and secondary forest (Key 1959). Directly along the coast, a narrow ecosystems band exists containing a mosaic of sand beaches and barriers, seasonally closed and open lagoons that are generally shallow in depths and mixed saline, and open grassed lands with scattered low trees and brush thickets. Coconut palms line the shoreline along sandy beach barriers, but are threatened with coastal erosion. Mangrove forests once dominated coastal river waterways and shorelines, but have similarly been decimated through the indiscriminate cutting of trees for grilling fish and heating.

CLIMATE Because of Ghana’s proximity to the Equator and the moderating influence

Reuniting City and Landscape

of the Atlantic Ocean, Ghana maintains a fairly constant warm temperature and high humidity year-round. Temperature variation throughout the year is small ranging from the mid-70°s to mid-to-upper 80°s. The cooler season is from July to October (mid-70°s to lower 80°s). It is warmer from January to June 76-77° degrees low to mid to upper 80°s highs. Seasonal change in this region is measured less by temperature, and more by seasonal precipitation, with notable wet and dry periods. Because of the ocean, relative humidity remains constant and high throughout the year ranging from 77%-85% humidity. Two rainy seasons from March-August, peaking in June, account for 75% of total annual rainfall and are associated with localized and damaging

flooding. Generally, it is dry from December through February with only two days average of rainy days. Total annual rainfall in 1991 was recorded at 845 mm/33”. Ghana and most of West Africa are not considered susceptible to Atlantic hurricanes, “since easterly blowing winds carry the storms away from land, and most Atlantic storms that move off the African coast tend to be weak” (Wikipedia). Historic storms on record generally occurred in the months of August or September and reached only tropical depression or tropical storm status with heavy rains, but minimal reported damage.

Accra

World Topographic Map - Sources: Esri, HERE, Garmin, Intermap, increment P Corp., GEBCO, USGS, FAO, NPS, NRCAN, GeoBase, IGN, Kadaster NL, Ordnance Survey, Esri Japan, METI, Esri China (Hong Kong), swisstopo, © OpenStreetMap contributors, and the GIS User Community World Imagery - Source: Esri, DigitalGlobe, GeoEye, Earthstar Geographics, CNES/Airbus DS, USDA, USGS, AeroGRID, IGN, and the GIS User Community

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

A Cultural History | Daniel Watts Excerpts from “A Cultural History Of Winneba, Ghana” by Daniel Watts, 2014, with contributions from Nana Ghartey, John Jay Baiden Amissah, Oheneba Akwesi Akyeampong, Ben Eshun and everyone else who took time out of their lives to aid in the development of a broader understanding of Winneba.

--Story continued on pages 155-159 of the Appendix An Introduction to Winneba The community of Winneba is located on the Gulf of Guinea in Ghana’s Central Region. It is the capital of the Effutu Municipal District and is approximately 35 miles west of the national capital, Accra, and 90 miles east of the city of Cape Coast. Winneba’s population of just over 60,000 makes it one of coastal Ghana’s economic and social centers along with Accra, Cape Coast and the port cities of Tema, and Takoradi. As a community, Winneba is defined by water. To its south lies the Gulf of Guinea, to the west is the brackish yet ecologically rich Muni Lagoon and to the east the Ayensu River. Today, Winneba is a city seeking to rebound from a certain level of economic, social and developmental stagnation. While much of its port and export/import based economy was devastated by the opening of more sophisticated deep water ports elsewhere, in recent decades tourism, education and festivals celebrating indigenous traditions have helped the community regain some of its former glory.

The community of Winneba is significant for a number of reasons. Most importantly, it is the ancestral home of the Effutu tribal group and one of the last remaining bastions of Effutu culture remaining in a region and country that is rapidly becoming homogenized. Settled around 1400 AD by migrating Effutu from present day Mali, Winneba quickly grew to into a regional capital that was a center of commerce, shipping and general trade. In 1470, the arrival of the Portuguese in West Africa brought great change. Overtime, one European group succeeded another as the Portuguese gave way to the Dutch and then lastly to the English who remained in Ghana until 1957. At least since the time of first European contact Winneba’s economy has been based primarily on trade. Whether that trade was based on connections to other communities within West Africa or on export to distant lands shifted with the particular time period.

In 1868, Creole African writer and surgeon Africanus Horton published a book entitled West African Countries and Peoples in which he described “the district of Winneba”. In his words Winneba: comprise[d] an extent of country rich and fertile, which, in its general features, is flat and very much cultivated. The principal town is Winnebah [sic], which is situated near the river Iyensu [sic]. The inhabitants are great agriculturists; industrious and hard-working, and cultivate plantations of ground-nut, palm-oil, plantain, banana, and various other articles. They are remarkable for supplying the Coast with a large quantity of native-made canoes; even the inhabitants of the Bight of Benin are always in quest of them. They trade in palm oil, maize, and gold dust.

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Much of Horton’s description of Winneba is still accurate today. Agricultural areas that generate products matching those of the 1868 description still surround the community while inside Winneba the population still trades in a variety of goods including “native-made” canoes. And while Winneba’s status as a port community has withered it has made new inroads as a destination for higher learning. Today, the University of Education Winneba has a student population of over 40,000 located in two campuses.

But Winneba is by no means out of the woods yet. Much remains to be done to create conditions that will enable a complete and sustainable resurgence.

These include the control of rampant physical development, broad economic development efforts, environmental protections, climate change and resiliency projects and the protection of historic, cultural and sacred resources.

In 2014, the University of Virginia became involved in efforts to help Winneba by focusing the expertise of instructors and students on many of the issues described above.

This document is intended to serve as a tool for developing a foundational understanding of Winneba’s history, culture and place in West Africa and the world. It is by no means comprehensive and, ideally, will exist as a living document that will be updated through the years as a greater understanding of Winneba is developed.

Winneba’s Founding Story Winneba is, at its heart, a community deeply connected to the history and culture of the Effutu people. Unlike other coastal cities, towns and communities, which have been subsumed by more populous and powerful ethnic groups like the Akan, Winneba has retained much of its unique heritage. The Effutu themselves are part of a larger ethnic group called the Guan and the existence of an ancient Effutu / Guan heritage is evidenced by the continued use of a Guan-based language as well as the current practice of religious and social traditions that have existed from the earliest days of Winneba’s settlement during the mid to late 10th century. In Effutu, the word Guan literally means to “move on” or “run away” and these definitions have served as a worthy description of the Guan’s long and arduous journey from central Africa to eventual settlement along the coast in present day Ghana, Togo, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire. Indeed, it is also important to recognize the central role that the Guan played not just in the founding of Winneba but also of Ghana itself.

There is broad agreement among scholars that the larger Guan ethnic group originated in the region of present-day central Mali in what some call the

Reuniting City and Landscape Empire of Ghana or the Western Sudanese Kingdom. Sometime between 1100 and 1200 A.D. a significant portion of the Guan – including the Effutu - made a decision to leave central Africa in search of better living conditions elsewhere. It is thought that the primary driver for migration was the inability of the arid climate and ecosystem of central Africa to support intensive human settlement and use patterns. A forested, relatively lush climate was generally sought and lands with such qualities were known to exist to the south.

It is also important to note that the Guan migration did not occur en masse.

Individual groups left over a period of years and each group followed a different course with different stops along the way. After starting out, the group that included the Effutu of Winneba briefly stopped in the Gonjaland, near present day Daboya and east of Damang and the White Volta River. A portion of the Guans remained and stayed in the Gonjaland while the rest of the group continued to move south towards to the Afram Plains in what is today central Ghana.

A second subset of the group settled in the Afram Plains while a third continued south through the Bono Kingdom (Brong Ahafo) without stopping.

This last group, which consisted of the Effutu who would settle Winneba, finally reached the Ghanaian coast at the site of present day Cape Coast. Upon arriving at the coast, the goal of the group became the discovery of a reliable fresh water source and a place to permanently settle.

After staying in the Cape Coast area for a short period the Effutu continued their search eastwards in the direction of present day Winneba. They soon reached a site they called Dwomma - now known as Mumford - where they stopped again. It was thought that Dwomma could serve as a good settlement place but when scarcity of water again became an issue it was decided to move on. In the end, however, some of the Effutu decided to stay in Dwomma while the majority continued further east in search of water and a permanent place to settle.

As the group traveled along the coast they came across a mountain that they suspected had a settlement at its base. According to historian Anthony Ephirim-Donkor, the Effutu cried “Ayei omako” which meant “look, a town!”.

What was thought to be a town actually turned out to be only an illusion, but the name remained. To this day, the mountain is called Manko.

After trudging over Manko, the Effutu soon reached the lagoon on the western side of present day Winneba. Thinking that the lagoon contained fresh water, the Effutu were initially excited. However, upon tasting the water they quickly realized that it was brackish and declared that it was “Muboni” meaning “he is hard”. A decision was made to continue moving east in search of water. Overtime, the word “Muboni” was changed into “Moni” and, because the lagoon was discovered on a Wednesday, the lagoon’s name became Kweku Moni.

After leaving the eastern side of the Moni Lagoon the Effutu group began to head inland and passed through the site which would become the ceremonial epicenter of the modern day Aboakyer Festival grounds, located on the lagoon’s northeastern side. As stated earlier, another important reason why

the Effutu continued to move eastward was to find a secure place to settle, preferably a hilltop where marauding bands of hostile tribal groups could be spotted before they could gather for an attack. The Effutu feared the Ashanti tribe most of all because of their skills as warriors and their propensity to sell their captives into European slavery.

The Effutu moved southwards from the Aboakyer festival grounds towards the coast. In the process they sighted a low hill in the distance and moved towards it. Upon arrival, they decided to continue investigating lands further to the south and pressed on towards a hilly site on the coast that appeared to hold the possibility of a secure site. In the end, the hilltop turned out to be ideal and was named “Alata Kokodo” which means “Hilltop of Alata”. In an aside, Alata Kokodo became the future site of the colonial era fort which dominated the town until its destruction in 1812.

From the Alata Kokodo the Effutu were pleased to find that they had many options. From their new position they could either easily defend themselves or, after spotting attackers long before their arrival, flee if necessary. They settled and established themselves on a small plain slightly below the crest of the hill. This is the present day Kweemu grounds. The same area was also called “Tsitsi Eguaso” meaning ancient market, which was also deemed to be a worthy place for a shrine for the god, Penyae Otu. The shrine, in its original form, would have been constructed of thatch and formed into a dome-like structure. This same area has remained as the home of Penkyae Otu and today contains a circular masonry shrine that is still considered to be Winneba’s most important sacred site.

During the initial stages of settling on the Kweemu grounds the Effutu saw a river entering the Gulf of Guinea a short distance to the east of Alata Kokodo.

They were struck by the fact that its color was brown instead of blue like the sea and they decided to investigate further. A small group ventured towards the river and on their way they found a smaller freshwater stream that was considered to be too small to be of use for the group. Moving on, they finally came to the river that they had seen from Alata Kokodo. They tasted the water and, after finding it fresh, yelled “amana ani yen nsu” meaning “we now have water”! Over time, this cry was shortened to Ayensu and became the name of the river. After bathing in the river the group returned to their elders to share the good news. The discovery of potable water so close to the Kweemu grounds further convinced the Effutu that a permanent settlement should be established.

The new settlement was centered on two key areas: A plain slightly below the crest of Alata Kokodo and another center nearer to the beach and known as “Penkye”. The name Penkye was derived from “Ana ane prekye”, meaning “let us land” in Effutu. From Alata Kokodo and the plain slightly below the crest of the hill, the Effutu had many options; they could either easily defend themselves or flee if necessary to go and hide upon sighting the Ashanti warriors. From that position they said among themselves, “ana ane prekye” meaning “let’s land” and began the process of building a permanent settlement.

(Refer to Appendix for full article.)

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Muni-Pomadze Lagoon Ramsar Site | Andrews Agyekumhene Wetlands are dynamic and distinct aquatic ecosystems found all over the world. The world’s governing body on wetlands, Ramsar, has inclusively defined wetlands to be areas of marsh, fen, peatland or water, whether natural or artificial, permanent or temporary, with water that is static or flowing, fresh, brackish or salt, including areas of marine water the depth of which at low tide does not exceed six metres. The primary factor that distinguishes wetlands from other ecosystems is the characteristic vegetation and animals, adapted to the unique hydric (very wet) soil.

Wetlands in Ghana play several significant functions, including habitat for wildlife (both plant and animals), water purification, water storage, flood control, processing of carbon and other nutrients, and stabilization of shorelines through reduction in erosion. Wetland vegetation such as mangrove also helps in the mitigation of climate change by its ability to remove and store atmospheric carbon dioxide 50% more than tropical forest.

In Ghana, as it is in some parts of the world, wetlands provide an avenue for local communities to perpetuate their culture. In Winneba, Central Region of Ghana for example, the annual Aboakyir festival of the Effutu people requires that the two hunting groups each catch a live bush buck with the bare hand, an activity which is carried out in a wetland area. Wetlands have also provided study sites for diverse disciplines thereby contributing to scientific research.

Recognising the importance of the Muni-Pomadze wetland for migratory species of birds (comprising 27 species of waders, 8 species of terns and 7 species of herons and egrets) the Wildlife Division (WD) of the Forestry Commission designated the wetland, along with others, as a Ramsar site and has since managed the site through the “Wise Use Concept� stipulated by Ramsar Convention. This is in compliance with Article 3.1 of the Convention, which requires that Contracting Parties formulate and implement plans so as to promote the conservation of the wetlands, and as far as possible the wise use of wetlands in their territory. The Division currently exercises conservation responsibility over 6 designated sites using the Wetlands Management (Ramsar Sites) Regulations, L. I. 1659 of 1999. The Division works effectively with other stakeholders to ensure sustainable management and development of the wetlands and their habitats, so as to optimize their contribution to national social-economic development. The WD has employed law enforcement, awareness creation and restoration as major

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tools to protect and conserve the wetland.

Due to financial constraints, lack of logistics which hinder proper research, planning and management of the wetland, as well as weak institutional collaborations, the challenges facing the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site have not been fully addressed. A new dynamic approach is therefore necessary to take hold of emerging issues to maximize the contribution of the site to social and economic development of the nation through secured optimum and adequate livelihood for the local communities.

The Muni Lagoon Restoration Project, has since its inception, has adopted a multi-stakeholder approach- involving Policy makers (Municipal Assembly and Wildlife Division), Law Enforcement Agencies (Wildlife Division), planners (Town and Country Planning Department) researchers and academia (University of Education Winneba), Conservation bodies (NGOs) - to address the issues facing the Muni wetland. This approach fits well into the vision and mission of the Wildlife Division and addresses the objectives of the Division.

Through the research and planning supported by the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia in the U.S., the project continues to provide relevant information that helps the relevant stakeholders make informed decisions about the resources of the wetlands thereby enhancing their management and protection.

For these reasons, I have personally always viewed the project as a healthy collaboration and therefore enthusiastically support the Muni Lagoon Restoration Project. I therefore call on all stakeholders to embrace and assist in the implementation of this project to enable the site to attain its former glory.

Andrews Agyekumhene, PhD

Protected Area Manager, Songor Ramsar Site UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (Former Site Manager, Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site) Wildlife Division (Forestry Commission), Ghana

Reuniting City and Landscape

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Traditional Management Practices on the Muni Lagoon | Kofi Adu-Boahen A number of traditional or customary practices are employed in the management of the Muni lagoon. The approaches include no activities fishing on Wednesday. It is also forbidden to carry a corpse/dead body across the lagoon to the other side because the god of the lagoon is believed to have been born on Wednesday, hence the name Kweku Muni. Thu personalization of the name mirrored a belief in the deity of the lagoon and its sanctity and nobility.

for burial. This is a belief jealously held by the local people, and this is an indication that, the people really respect the lagoon. They believe that Kwaku Muni was born on Wednesday which marked a day of happiness and purification and as such need not to be interfered with mourning on such day. The Yenku Forest Reserve is a protected area that borders the Muni Lagoon and serves as the traditional hunting grounds of the Effutu people and as a result contributes to the conservation of the lagoon.

There is a unanimous view on the sanctity (‘tumi’ spirit) of the lagoon. In the communities around the lagoon, when someone dies especially on a Wednesday at one side of the lagoon, it is forbidden to carry the corpse across the lagoon to the other side. The dead person is left there until the next day for rituals to be performed before the corpse is taken to its appropriate place

This forest reserve is considered as a sacred grove and all forms of human activities are strictly forbidden. In this regard no human activity of any kind is carried out in the forest as it is believed that the spirit of the ancestors and the gods will not take it kindly with anybody disturbing the peace of the gods.

Traditional beliefs and taboos can be reliable management strategies if they

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are implemented without any restrictions from external bodies. The belief that the Penkye Otu deity is powerful and able to foretell future events likely to happen during the Ebisatsir (casting of lot) is also an important customary practice among the Effutu.

Among other things, the residents consider the lagoon as representing their life; ‘Kweku Muni ne me nkwa’ which means his life and everything is dependent on the lagoon, again residents have the perception that there is ‘tumi’, thus supernatural power in the lagoon and the Yenku forest and hence any inappropriate use or entry into the lagoon and its catchment areas comes with punishment.

There is also periodic monitoring and observation at the lagoon site and its catchment areas on every Wednesday by the Traditional Council with support from the Wildlife Division and Forestry Commission to prevent residents going contrary to the ban on fishing and to protect the fish stock especially the fingerings. There is also regulation on the use of drag nets, nets of mesh sizes below 25 mm in the lagoon and only the indigenous people are allowed to fish in the lagoon. This is to monitor the activities of the indigenes and to ensure that appropriate nets are used. Again, there is a conscious effort by the traditional leaders and their subjects in stimulating the interest of the community members to respect the customs, beliefs, traditions, local knowledge on the lagoon and recalcitrant citizens are punished for abuses they commit against the lagoon. Also, women in their menstrual period are forbidden to come into contact with the lagoon or even cross it. The application of this customary practice was to ensure water quality and to prevent the deposition of impurities or pollutants into the lagoon. It is on record that when women are menstruating they are not clean, and as such any contact of the women in menstrual period with the lagoon is considered a taboo.

Taking snapshot of the lagoon is prohibited. The Muni Lagoon is considered as a sacred area and should be observed as customs demand. It is prohibited to take a picture of the lagoon without due consultation with the traditional leaders or the fetish priest. The rationale behind this is that, the lagoon is considered a “naked’’ lagoon and its nakedness should not be exposed to anyone except its children.

KOFI ADU-BOAHEN PhD

Head of Department, Quality Assurance and Assessment Institute for Teacher Education and Continuing Professional Development Senior Lecturer Department of Geography Education University of Education, Winneba

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Throughout the twentieth century average sea level has risen by 3.2 mm/yr (IPCC 2014). The impacts of this rise are wide-ranging encompassing coastal biological, physical and socio-economic realms: loss of coastal wetlands, coastal flooding, coastal erosion, salinization of water resources, demise of natural shoreline protection, alteration and loss of coastal ecosystems, decline in fishing stocks, decrease in coastal land area and the migration of human population from the coastline. The loss of coastal wetlands is of particular concern because they provide a wealth of ecosystem services that contribute to coastal conservation and management including shoreline protection, storm buffering and water quality regulation (Blankespoor et al. 2014). The global importance of wetlands was recognized at the Ramsar Convention in 1971. Since then 2,187 wetlands (including non-coastal sites) of international importance have been designated as Ramsar sites in 168 countries (Ramsar 2014). A Ramsar designation means that management of the wetland is founded on sustained ‘wise use’ with conservation issues integrated into land-use planning policies and sustainable development.

The Ramsar Site The Muni-Pomadze Ramsar site boasts the greatest habitat diversity and least human encroachment of any of the five Ghanaian Ramsar sites (Ryan and Ntiamoa-Baidu 2000). It also is globally important as a staging post for migrating waterbirds (Ntiamoa-Baidu et al, 2000). In addition to its international ecological importance as a Ramsar site, the lagoon provides socio-economic benefits for the local community: fishing, agriculture, hunting, sand quarrying, and salt winning, and heritage festivals.

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Approximately 40% of Ramsar sites are in less developed countries (LDCs). The estimated loss of coastal wetlands for less developed countries may be higher than for those in more developed countries (MDCs).

Wetlands are a significant feature of Ghana’s 550 km long coastline. These coastal wetlands vary in their morphology comprising lagoon systems that may be intermittently closed or open to the ocean, as well as estuaries. The Ghanaian government recognizes its coastal wetlands as critical wildlife habitats in addition to providing flood mitigation, water purification and water resources, and supplying local communities with wood harvesting, fishing, hunting and grazing (Ghana Ministry of Lands and Forestry 2001). Ghana signed to the Ramsar Convention in 1988 and five of its coastal wetland areas have been designated as Ramsar sites with one inland .

Owabi Wildlife Sanctuary, Ashanti Region

Keta Lagoon, Volta Region Songor Lagoon, Greater Accra Region Densu Delta, Greater Accra Region Sakumo Lagoon, Greater Accra Region M u n i L a g o o n , C e n t r a l R e g io n

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

The Watershed The Muni Lagoon watershed covers 94 square kilometers on the central Ghana coastline. The largest sub-watershed, approximately 66 square kilometers to the north and west sides of the lagoon, is covered primarily by grassland, forest, and agriculture.

The secondary sub-watersheds to the east of the lagoon contain several urban and suburban areas, including Winneba. As agriculture and urban areas have been expanding in these areas, water quality within the lagoon has been adversely affected.

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Reuniting City and Landscape As a general rule, water quality deteriorates as human population increases within a watershed. In an early 2000s study, Muni’s water quality was deemed exceptional compared to other coastal lagoons based on the number of people living within the watershed. While various physical and cultural factors have protected the lagoon’s water in the past, recent changes such as increased population growth, deforestation and agricultural intensification— have deleterious effects on water quality. To assess potential impacts, long-term water quality monitoring in the Lagoon has begun in coordination with the local Forestry Division Site Manager. Water quality will be measured monthly at select locations, including the three major streams feeding the lagoon (sites A, B, and C), a newly built urban runoff channel on the eastern lagoon (site D), and in the center and mouth of the lagoon (sites E and F). Regular monitoring of depth, salinity, ammonium, nitrate, chlorine, pH, and dissolved oxygen will help inform where and what pollutants are entering the lagoon and how land use and population changes contribute to pollutant loads.

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

The Future of the Dynamic Barrier Dune Understanding the nature and amount of sea level rise projected throughout the 21st century will be essential to the Winneba community to plan for changing coastline and their livelihoods related to the local fishing industry.

The Muni Lagoon has and continues to be a part of the region’s fishing industry, with the small tilapia strain (Oreochromis spp.) heavily fished for local consumption. Shell fish commonly harvested in the lagoon is the oyster Crassostrea tulipa. Community members also catch African rainbow crab Cardiosoma amartum along the lagoon, in the grasses. Fiddler crabs abound in the lagoon areas, but are less desirable for consumption. As Muni is a seasonally closed lagoon, hyper-saline conditions develop, especially during the dry season when salinity levels in the lagoon rise significantly beyond that of the Gulf waters (80 psu versus 35 psu). This extreme condition limits the bio-diversity

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Current: Limited habitat due to high salinity in the lagoon

Reuniting City and Landscape

of fish to species (primarily Tilapia and some mollusks) that can tolerate the periodic excessively salty conditions.

If projections for sea level rise in the next century prevail, the lagoon will remain open to ocean waters for longer periods. The upper images conducted as part of the team’s early work (Davies-Vollum and West) describe the potential changing impact of sea level rise. The left diagram compares high water tidal marks measured in 1972 and 2014. In the right diagram, the small areas that exist above a projected 1 meter SLR are noted, suggesting significant barrier erosion. As a result, the ecology of the lagoon will change as the salinity levels will remain more consistent throughout the year matching the ocean. With this, greater bio-diversity is expected and may offer new economic and job opportunities in improved fishing, new aquaculture industries like snail and oyster cultivation, as well as eco-tourism.

One Meter SLR: Increased habitat and biodiversity

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Current Problems, Threats , and Challenges Threats to the coastal wetland regions of Ghana and particularly Muni Lagoon come from both global, large scale issues of climate change and from localized, human-caused activities:

mangrove restoration on a large-scale along streams and wetlands will be critical to mediating water temperatures on shorelines and creating habitats that support stronger, sustainable fishing and crabbing.

CLIMATE CHANGE A central question being addressed is the impact of climate warming on southern regions of Ghana and fragile coastal communities and lagoons.

Added to that concern, experts are predicting that the bioclimatic zones are shifting and that desertification from the Sahara Desert to the north will continue to creep ever southward making the lands, cities, and forests more vulnerable to drought and loss of soil. How will the projected rise in temperatures affect the liveability of cities? Cities can and need to action now with programs for street trees, treed parks, and open space to cool and transform their heavily-paved, over-built, treeless environs. Higher temperatures also will impact native vegetation communities and surface evaporation rates on shallow, brackish water bodies like Muni. Initiating

How will more erratic and intense storm patterns be anticipated and planned for? In recent times, Winneba city has been subjected to flood events connected to the rainy season in June and July flooding houses and streets whose concrete gutter and channel system often clogged with trash, cannot handle the heavy precipitation. These patterns of intense rain should be better scrutinized and accounted for in the responsive design of future facilities and development of street gutter and storm water municipal maintenance programs. Together, these will ensure that the systems work at maximal capacity to protect property and are cleared of trash and waste to protect the flows going into the lagoon. Measures to replace grey infrastructures of concrete channels running throughout the city with green infrastructures need also to be considered in handling flood water stages.

Because of climate change, more rainfall is expected in Winneba. More flash floods like this one will become prevalent and threaten lands and properties.

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HUMAN PRESSURES The original Effutu tribe that migrated from inland Mali to establish Winneba on the Gulf located at a beneficial confluence of many waters- ocean, rivers, and lagoon--which established it as a safe settlement with clean water, and good access to plentiful resources. Historically, the town has been culturally and geographically separated from Ghana’s capitol city Accra about 40 miles away. But in the 21st century, the growth of Accra (population is nearing 4 million) is expanding westward in an unprecedented and uncontrolled manner. The impact is being felt locally as Ghanaians increasingly seek out Winneba as a desirable weekend beach resort and place to live with its more hospitable, small town qualities, and natural resources. As a general rule, water quality deteriorates as the human population increases within a watershed. In an early 2000s study of the lagoon, Muni’s water quality was deemed exceptional compared to other coastal lagoons based on a 2000 census population count of 40,017 people living in Winneba. However, as the building has been increasing in these sub-watersheds, negative impacts on water quality are now measurable. Human outputs of solid and liquid waste generated by Winneba’s now population over 55,000, including untreated street storm water runoff, open defecation, and trash eventually make their way into the lagoon through surface runoff or channelized flow. The lack of adequate sanitary sewage treatment for water flowing from city street gutters and neighborhoods in the urban sub-watershed is now resulting in higher contaminant levels around the southeast corner of the lagoon.

2018, March

Meeting increased demands for housing is a challenge that comes with growth. Residents seek to build their own houses build legally, and at times illegally, on lands with no road, drainage, and utility infrastructures and often in low lying stream and lagoon floodplains below the six-meter elevation.

When domestic waste systems are not installed, waste is disposed of in the lagoon. These neighborhoods flood routinely and will be permanently underwater in time with sea rise. The accompanying photo series shows the current realities of fluctuating lagoon water levels on a house that was built out on the lagoon edges.

Agriculture represents another challenge to Muni Lagoon’s health. Suburban and farming development along the Ntakrafah River (18.4 hectares) to the north is on the increase and damaging water quality and destroying essential forested bank buffers along the river. The addition of farms in the Lagoon watershed is on a rapid increase at scales ranging from subsidence plots to industrial farms. Clear cutting, often required to create arable land, destabilizes soil surfaces, leaving soils to blow away with the wind or be washed downstream away by rain. The impact of drawing water from the Ntakrafah and Pratu Rivers to cultivate crops is also not regulated or entirely understood for its impact on water flows downstream. For the lagoon, farming expansion has degraded water quality with agrichemical and sediment runoff.

2019, August

2019, October

Seasonal fluctuating water levels in the lagoon pose a threat for houses built below the 6 meter elevation above sea level. With sea rise, in time more houses along streams and the lagoon will be underwater permanently. Houses built on the lagoon with inadequate or no sewage capacity also degrade vegetation, fish and bird habitats, and lagoon water quality.

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

SEA LEVEL RISE The accompanying map, entitled ‘Sea Level Rise Data’ spatializes the impact of global sea level rise on Winneba, the lagoon watershed, and neighboring water bodies over the next 80 years. Future sea level change is a complex issue sitting at the intersection of various different environmental factors. This map factors in several dynamic and overlapping water conditions-- global predictions of sea level rise, seasonal high tides, and inland flooding-- in order to create a more nuanced and comprehensive picture of the impacts of rising water levels in the future.

This mapping uses a baseline of 0 meters and denotes a seasonal high tide of 1.4 meters as recorded by the National Ocean Service in the 2011 report entitled “High and Low Water Predictions: Europe and the West Coast of Africa”.

The map also includes an approximation of where water level would sit based on world wide sea level rise predictions from the Brookings Institute and the report entitled “Shoreline Change and Sea Level Rise at the Muni-Pomadze Coastal Wetland” authored by Davies-Vollum. The Brookings Institute predicts a world wide sea level rise of 1meter. While the report compiled by DaviesVollum predicts a sea level change of 0.5 meters. Both of these predictions are accounted for in the accompanying map. These predictions for sea level rise, when considered in conjunction with the seasonal high tide of 1.4 meters paints a dynamic and complex story of the possibilities for sea level rise over the next 80 years. The change in sea level will undoubtedly have an impact on both unbuilt and built urbanized surrounding areas.

The impact of sea level rise on in this area will be further exacerbated by seasonal inland flooding caused by the rainy season in Winneba and surrounding areas. The inland flooding denoted on the map is a result of consideration of the dynamic effects of seasonal changes in rain patterns as well as predicted sea level rise. Currently the inland flooding is described on the map as nearing the 4m topographic line. This representation is based on anecdotal studies of the area and historic patterns of seasonal flooding.

Finally, following these predictions for higher water levels, the now closed Muni Lagoon with its seasonally high salinity that limits fish and bird populations, will likely change to an open estuary, whose waters are permanently open to the Gulf . With salinity levels that match the ocean waters, a future ‘Muni Estuary’ may support greater wildlife and aquatic biodiversity.

Sea level rise will also impact shoreline communities. Our mappings illustrate the extent of expanded lagoon waters should ocean levels rise one meter as predicted by year 2050 helping to predict what specific land areas and neighborhoods will be underwater. With greater mappable knowledge of projected high water levels and current GPS capabilities, steps can now be taken to visibly delineate no-build encroachment limits on the lagoon shoreline and better inform officials and residents.

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Sea Level Rise Data Map

Prepared by University of Virginia School of Architecture | Spring 2020

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Challenges | The Growing Human Footprint -- According to the 2010 Population and Housing Census, the population of Effutu Municipality is 68,592 representing 3.1% of the region’s total population of 2,201,863.

-- Females represent 51.2%, while Males constitute 48.8%.

-- The majority (93.3%) of the population in the Municipality live in urban areas.

Population Pattern of the Main Settlements in the Municipality

Population Proportion

Urbanization

Domestic Water Resource

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Drinking Water Resource

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Challenges | The Growing Human Footprint A scenario-based simulation tool, developed by Huang with Geographic Information System (GIS), pictures future growth and ensuing land use land cover changes given different interventions and spatial strategies. The outcome of this study will be further analyzed and shared with local stakeholders to inform the integrated planning of the city and lagoon.

The growth simulation tool makes following assumptions: • Urban population will grow at 3% rate per year in the next 30 years, which is close to the 3.4% national urban population growth rate in Ghana as estimated by the World Bank. Built-up areas will expand accordingly as the result of population growth.

• Cropland will grow by 1% annually in the same time frame because of the increasing demand for food and migration of rural population into the surrounding areas.

• Climate change and sea level rise will likely result in more frequent floods in the lowland areas.

• New urban development will occur in areas with good accessibility, flat land, and easy acquisition. New cropland will likely to be established in areas with good access to water, transportation, and fertile soil.

The simulation tool mapped the following land use and land cover conclusions based on different ‘timing adoptor’ scenarios for these interventions: • Densify urban development by 50% for new urban development, i.e. higher population density and less new build-up areas.

• Re-delineate core conservation area to include the Muni Lagoon and Manku Mountain. Set up an urban growth boundary along the lagoon and shift development away from flood-prone areas.

• Control the expansion of cropland, but improve agricultural productivity by adopting best agricultural practices. At the same time, diversify local economy and reduce resource extraction by introducing eco-tourism and aquaculture.

• Construct green infrastructure and waste water stabilization ponds to treat waste water from built-up areas and cropland.

5 Scenarios are developed. With the ‘Early Adopter’ scenario, the above proposed interventions to the Muni Lagoon and city of Winneba will be immediately put into action in 2020. Land use land cover distributions in 2035 and 2050 are simulated. With the ‘Late Adopter’ scenario, the proposed interventions will be implemented in Year 2035 instead. In the final ‘Non-Adopter’ scenario, no proposed interventions will take place, and the lagoon, city, and surrounding areas will continue to operate under current practices.

(This study on growth simulation has won the People’s Choice Award at the 2019 International Geodesign Collaboration Conference.)

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2018

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EARLY ADOPTER CONCLUSION As fast urbanization occurs in the next 30 years, the ‘Early Adopter’ scenario successfully contains the housing growth with less impact on the Muni Lagoon. Densified development also allows better service of urban infrastructure and growth of new green industries such as eco-tourism. With the construction of waste water stabilization ponds, the majority of urban waste water going into the Lagoon will be treated. The ecological integrity of the Lagoon and Manku Mountain is largely maintained to support diverse wildlife species. However, the expansion of cropland is likely to continue along riparian zones at the upper watershed reaches of the Ramsar Lagoon site. This indicates that future management strategies need to address the balance of increasing farming demands with conservation needs.

Early Adopter 2035

Late Adopter 2035

Early Adopter 2050

Late Adopter 2050

Non-adopter 2050

LATE ADOPTER CONCLUSION This conclusion notes the growth impact should current practices remain in place and no interventions be adopted until 2035. The city will grow in all directions from years 2020-2035, although it will not reach the core areas of the Muni Lagoon and Manku Mountain.

However, as urban development pushes cropland further away, and cropland continues to expand, the entire native grassland and forest vegetation along the upper reaches of the Lagoon will be wiped out. Moreover if there are no controls, current small rural settlements around the Manku Mountain will expand significantly fragmenting the landscape and important wildlife habitats. This 2035 scenario adoption of a growth boundary and conservation strategy will still be effective and contain the urban growth in the future, but the damage to the integrity of the landscape will be irreversible.

NON-ADOPTER CONCLUSION As the population grows exponentially in the next 30 years, uncontrolled urban and rural development, as shown in this scenario, will overtake almost the entire Ramsar site. Both the city and lagoon will be under immense stress. Large urban areas will face threat of frequent floods due to sea level rise. The Lagoon will lose its vegetated buffer, and urban waste water will enter the Lagoon untreated. Agricultural development will take over all the riparian zones in the study area and fragment the Manku Mountain forests.

The water quality in the Lagoon is likely to degrade to a level that is unable to support diverse ecosystems and economic activities such as fishing and tourism. As a result, the city will lose the opportunity to maintain its cultural and economic vitality with a healthy and beautiful lagoon.

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings SWOT Analysis Strengths desire for change unique landscape viable ecological integrity cultural significance proximity to Accra social infrastructure collaboration between offices educated government officials Ramsar site designation

A Collaborative Process From March 22 to March 25, 2019, a delegation of Ghanaian stakeholders, including city planners, educators, Ramsar site officials from the Ghana Wildlife Division/ Forestry Commission, and faith community leaders traveled to Charlottesville Virginia USA. There at the University of Virginia, they joined with faculty members and graduate students from the School of Architecture for a collaborative workshop to develop a working road map towards a shared vision for the Muni Lagoon and city of Winneba.

The workshop began with representatives from the delegation presenting their individual visions for their city. Despite their diverse professional backgrounds and interests, these representatives uniformly expressed concerns about environmental degradation in Winneba and shared a sense of urgency to radically reverse the current situation in order to adapt and build resiliency. They emphasized the importance of economic development, but also maintaining their cultural identity as the city looks to the future. (see list next page) In the next stage, participants formed smaller groups to conduct a SWOT analysis (see SWOT Analysis list) to flush out strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, both perceived and real. The exercise raised heated debate. Although participants were able to quickly arrive at consensus, opinions diverged considerably on topics such as the community’s political will and desire to change, population growth, and role of traditional tribal rule.

Some of the disagreements also reflected their different background and disciplinary expertise.

The discussion about SWOT analysis served as the context for the Architecture students to present their research projects and their proposed ideas for future interventions. This review not only helped students ground their research projects on the current realities, but also gave the visiting delegates outside, innovative future possibilities to consider. (photos of review) Finally, participants conducted a so-called “Crowd Sourcing” decision-making exercise that ranked a long list of potential action projects that had been raised during the workshop. In this exercise, participants rated the importance of an anonymously-written and randomly-selected project (written out on a card) based on three criteria: • high impact, meaning significant benefits to the local community and environment, • high priority, meaning urgency to implemented; • high feasibility, meaning low political resistance and low resource requirements or cost to implement.

After multiple ranking rounds votes were tallied producing a viable shortlist of actions and projects to undertake immediately based on highest priority, feasibility and impact. (see list) The accompanying summary map was created to spatialize and locate these priority projects around the lagoon.

Although it is recognized that the priorities will alter or even be rejected over time as they get vetted through the community, and as funding to carry out the work becomes available, or not. it is hoped that this preliminary map will be a valuable tool to discern priorities and mark out a plan and motivate collaborative action.

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Opportunities growing economy and population stable development and democracy improved transportation eco-tourism existence of a major university proximity to Accra expanding stakeholders environmental education Weaknesses inadequate financial resources complex land ownership lack of infrastructure (waste, sanitary) lack of formal education lack of political will lack of coordination between government offices over-emphasis on spiritual significance environmental degradation low public participation at community level lack of documentation, mapping lack of awareness lack of law enforcement Threats climate change and floods urban expansion and illegal encroachment chiefdom impact of outside visitors demand for more resources unsupported law enforcement divergent agenda and priority plastic waste lake of spatial planning proximity to Accra

Reuniting City and Landscape The Eco office works to promote the conscious concern and care for nature in response to the religious command to care for the earth. Meaningful care of the earth has to be taught and lived. This is what the Eco-office seeks to promote in our younger generation and thus inculcate a greater awareness and commitment to the care of nature.

Our vision for a more sustainable preservation of the Muni Lagoon is that all institutions and stakeholders will join hands to protect and safeguard the ecological integrity of the Muni lagoon. We seek to collaborate with the institutions and stakeholders in the preservation of the lagoon and its surrounding vegetation.

Through our school outreach programs and the environmental care initiatives we undertake in Winneba, we intend to intensify our partnerships with other institutions and stakeholders in order to manage the Muni Lagoon more successfully. The Eco-office will extend the school program to other schools within the catchment area to make more people in our schools more aware of the ecological importance of the Muni Lagoon and the need to preserve its quality for both present and future generations.

--- by Emmanuel Andoh, March 2019 , Environmental Concern Office (Eco-Office) Winneba-Ghana

Tourism – Turn “Poor to Power” The “jewels” in this district are its ecological and cultural resources. The natural environment is strikingly beautiful, characterized by undeveloped beaches, natural reserves and rolling mountains. The Lagoon and the estuaries that combine with the sea and dotted mountains create irresistible natural attachment.

Agriculture: Converging conservation and conversion The lower course of the Ntakofam River is predominantly used as farming. Principally, farming activities take place in the dry season cultivating vegetable crops notably, cabbage, sweet pepper, okra, garden egg, etc.

Settlement – Controlled Expansion It is estimated that population will grow more the national average because of the influx of people to take advantage of the amenities and to escape the choked Accra and Kasoa cities.

--- by Francis Kankam-Boadu, Winneba Municipal Assembly Economic Development Officer

Vision 1: To see the degradation of the Muni lagoon and its environs halted, reversed and improved to avoid placement of the site under the Montreux Record of the Ramsar Treaty.

Vision 2: To see the people of Winneba and beyond, become aware of the existence and the benefits of preserving the Muni lagoon Ramsar Site so that they contribute to the preservation and development of the site.

Vision 3: To see the Muni lagoon become a center of wetland attraction for ecotourism in Ghana and the West Africa coast in general.

Vision 4: To restock the traditional hunting grounds with the bushbuck to promote and sustain the ‘Aboakyre’ festival of the people of Winneba.

--- by Charles Amankwah, Wetlands Coordinator/ Ramsar National Focal Point/ Wildlife Division (Forestry Commission)

The Mission of the Wildlife Division is “To work effectively with others to ensure sustainable management and development of Ghana’s wildlife and their habitats, so as to optimize their contribution to national social-economic development”. The Division therefore implements strategies to protect the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site (wetland) with active involvement of all relevant stakeholders. Over the years the wetland has faced many challenges, notable among them are pollution and encroachment driven by increasing population of the Effutu Municipal Assembly which currently accommodates 1 University, 1 Nursing Training College and 1 National Sport College. Unfortunately, the Division has not fully addressed these challenges due to financial constraints and lack of logistics which hinder proper research (water quality assessment), planning (mapping) and management of the wetland. The Winneba and Muni project, since its inception, has adopted a multi-stakeholder (involving Conservationist, planners, researchers, policy makers and academia) approach to address the issues facing the wetland which fits well into the mission of the Division. Again, the project, through the research and planning component, continues to provide information that helps the Division make informed decisions about the resources thereby enhancing their management and protection. For these reasons, the Division has always viewed the project as a healthy collaboration and therefore enthusiastically supports the Muni project.

--- by Andrews Agyekumhene, Site Manager, Muni-Pomadze Lagoon, Ghana Wildlife Division/Forestry Commission

28

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

research/ inputs

proposals/ outcomes

science/ecology

trash managment town planning and enforcement storm water management sanitary waste management

infrastructure

water and soil testing climate change/sea level rise lagoon ecology urban forest ecology

+ planning and policy

town physical plan Wildlife Commission/Forestry Div roads and sidewalks trash and sewer collection

+ culture/ history

Effutu traditional culture festivals and cultural events local communities/ opinion leaders University community

WINNEBA MUNICIPALITY

Effutu Municipal Assembly Forestry Division Traditional Authorities

UNIVERSITY EDUCATION WINNEBA

Dept Geography Education Dept Environmental Sciences HPHERS International Studies

UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA

School of Architecture Dept Environmental Sciences Batten School Public Policy Sister Cities Commission Helen International Project

+

economic

fisheries and aquaculture recreational tourism cultural tourism alternative farming

+

education

UEW teacher training UEW sustainable campus design K-12 public school church engagement sustainable agricultural practices

+

conservation

research and education center improved lagoon water quality for fishing and wildlife forest habitat restoration mangrove shoreline replanting beach cleanup

*Prioritizing Potential Projects

29

Reuniting City and Landscape

REUNITING CITY AND LANDSCAPE: WINNEBA GHANA PRIORITIES PROJECT LIST

economy

conservation

infrastructure

education

notes

Highest Priorities

1

trash collection: create a test for-profit scheme to locate trash and recycle bins strategically around the city with a regular management plan for pick up. Use the grounds of UEW as a test site to train Education students and change habits.

2

research/education center: develop schematic designs for landscape and buildings to be research/education/ ecotourism centers at identified locations.

Designs should be based on the potential of each site to educate and address current environmental challenges.

3

mangrove shoreline restoration: develop a longterm program for mangrove restoration along the lagoon and river shorelines. Explore business opps to train persons to plant, manage, and sustainably harvest mangroves as a crop. carry out phase one planting around mouth of lagoon at barrier breach.

SARC + Darden AfricaBusiness Org/ DABO

4

riparian corridor restoration: Protect, replant, and restore sacred Ntakrafah River to connect from Forest Reserve through UEW Campus to Lagoon. Prohibit future housing and agricultural deelopment in the stream buffer. Engage UEW in restoration as an educational and civic action.

UEW and School of Architecture

5

multi-use trails: for pedestrians and bicycles, etc.

6

bio-gas toilets: Make a five-year plan for funding and installing 10+ seater bio-gas toilet buildings around the city similar to the one at the prison. Is there a business opportunity around maintaining these facilities?

EMA, Kankam Boadu and Addo

7

storm water wetlands: undertake a study that explores the potential of existing salt ponds on the east lagoon edge to be repurposed for detaining and treating urban storm water from the two main drainage channels from the city? Are there other purposes?

Agyekumhene and Amankwah

UEW, Emmanuel Andoh, David Addo

School of Architecture studio Fall 2019

Mid-priorities

8

fisheries and aquaculture: study the economic opportunities to use the lower-salinity constructed ponds at the west edge of lagoon for aquaculture and eco-tourism?

9

bird watching tower: restore existing tower on east lagoon shore.

Design and construct new tower further outside SLR inundation area along new walking Muni Lagoon interpretive trail.

10

historic/ cultural interpretive trail: layout and map a walking tour that connects both city cultural sites and lagoon sites. Create signage program at significant spots.

11

water taxi route: explore business potential of a water taxi enterprise along main and secondary routes to transport residents between Winneba and Mankwahze and between resorts.

Agyekumhene and Amankwah, DABO

Andy, Architecture School students and bird watching expert consultation.

School of Architecture studio fall 2019

City, SARC and DABO

Long-term Priorities

12

recreational kayaking program: explore business potential of ecotourism + educational kayaking in the lagoons. Design and construct a boat launch station and piers at locations :

Andy, SARC, and /DABO

13

Aboakyer Festival modernization: discuss potential to expand deer hunting emphasis to other cultural activities that would build a cultural tourism at sites around the city.

SARC and /DABO

14

Ramsar map reconfiguration: reassess the boundaries and sizes of the Ramsar water shed including core area, critical area, management area, and traditional hunting ground from the original Ramsar map.

Agyekumhene, Amankwah

15

manage agricultural growth : reassess the extent of current agriculture land areas in the Ramsar site. Can/should maximal limits be set for more agriculture? Can best farming operational practices be enacted?

30

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Preliminary Vision for Conservation The theme of conservation aims for the reforestation, restoration, and management of the lagoon which has been damaged by human-caused pollution and unsustainable practices. The plan is to expand and link diverse habitats for bush-buck, fish, birds, and other wildlife species, and at the same time maintain environmental healthy and scenic resources for Winneba’s residents.

Cur­rent tensions between the Muni Lagoon and Winneba need to be addressed in order to rebuild the symbiotic relationship that once knitted the lagoon landscape with its urban neighbor.

Restoration of the once-rich mangrove and savannah forests that covered the coastal area is critical. They will serve as a primary resiliency structure against rising seas and increased storm intensity over the next century. Coastal forests are vital in providing stabilizing soils, buffering against storms, and mediating temperatures. They are vital for protecting stream shorelines and providing roosting and nesting habitats for native and migratory birds. Tied to restoring the lagoon forests is the need to protect and add trees in the city-- along streets, in parks, open spaces, and the existing large forest preserve. Preserving a strong vegetated network that links city and lagoon, especially along the Ntakrafah River corridor, will be important in envisioning a holistic conservation effort for the region.

The shorelines of the lagoon and its streams once flourished with mangrove which has been degraded by foot traffic and illegal cutting of the wood used widely for heating and grilling fish. The success of mangrove forests demands active restoration planting programs and community-enforced protection against cutting. Native fish populations need mangrove and are on the decline due to a loss of nursery habitats in the roots of the mangrove. Restoring the mangrove will ensure a more vibrant fishing and shellfish industry in the future.

Conservation of savannah vegetation in the lagoon is also critical for the city’s cultural identity and spiritual practices of the Effutu.

It has been noted how the increased scarcity of wildlife habitats is reducing native Bush-buck (Tragelaphus scriptus) and Royal Antelope (Neotragus pygmaeus) populations and negatively impacting the success of the tra­ditional bush-buck hunt associated with the annual Aboakyer Festival. Conservation measures for Manku Mountain must also be considered and must include ‘no-building’ policies on the mountain. This will protect not only an important wildlife habitat, but will be critical to preserving precious viewsheds within the lagoon and from the city looking out to the lagoon landscape.

31

Reuniting City and Landscape

Legend Antelope, Bushbuck & Duriker Habitat

Scenic View

Boat Crossing

Sea Bird View

Mangrove Habitat

Terrestrial Bird Viewing

Mountain View

Swimming

Park Entrance

Kayaking

Stream Buffer

Urban Water Treatment

MANGROVE RESTORATION

Phase 1 Phase 2

OTHER

Muni-Pomadza Ramsar Site Forest ReserveNorth Campus Area

Phase 3

°

0

0.25 0.5

1

1.5

Kilometers 2

32

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Preliminary Vision for Education The theme of education encourages environmental education in public and private K-12 and university settings, after-school programs, and volunteer and church based initiatives. Environmental education promotes public awareness about environmental issues. In return, it provides the public with the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions and take responsible actions.

Environmental education will help the city address local community issues that may be related to encroaching development along the Muni Lagoon, poor sanitation, sustainable food sources, and a lack of renewable energy alternatives.

Given Winneba’s multiple urban, barrier beach, sea and lagoon con­texts, we propose the installation of a network of ‘environmental education hubs’ throughout the city. Each hub would have a tailored educational focus to address the environmental issues of its respective location and be defined by service boundaries that target a local neighborhood or geographic service area. Educational opportunities and programming at each hub would be linked with the United Nations ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ to encourage public participation around and awareness of global environmental issues. In addition, educational programming would focus locally and foster active engagement around issues such as the native flora and fauna, water sanitation, stream protection, etc. Programs could also revalidate traditional tribal taboos, such as the weekly local ban on fishing on Wednesdays that curtail resource extraction.

UEW is noted as a potentially significant contributor because of its role in educating future teachers about environmental sustainability. Because of its large geographic presence in the city, UEW also has the opportunity to model the most current and best practices through the sustainable design of its campuses. A first educational hub could be established as a test model on the North UEW campus. One idea is to establish the hub in the abandoned Presby School, whose location at a major street intersection and near many private and public schools make it an ideal hub site. Faculty and students could develop educational programs such as water conservation, recycling, and urban forestry for the community and school-age children in the service boundary.

The current ECO-Concern Office led by the Reverend Emmanuel Andoh and operated through the Roman Catholic Missions serves as a successful model ‘hub.’ Through its afterschool programs, it directly engages school children to care for the local environment and challenges them to think about their home in the context of a sustainable system. More after school programs such as these should be considered.

33

Reuniting City and Landscape

Legend Educational hubs for K-12 Church Station Educational hubs Community Educational hubs Main Educational hubs Research Center

Water and Land Management Practices Model

vice Boundary A Ser

Service Boundary

Uncle Rich School St. Paul’s Prep. School/Church Winneba Business High School

Winneba Secondary School

UEW North Campus

Lauren’s Lighthouse Chapel Triumph Bible Church Int

Text

Church of Christ

yC

Service Bou nd ar

Church of Christ Preparatory School Don Bosco JHS Municipal Assembly Primary School H&E Educational Center

UEW North Campus Evening Light Assembly

A.M.E. Zion Girls Senior High School

Grace Presby Church Apostolic Reformed Church of God Winneba International School

UniPra South School

Service B oun da ry

Lighthouse Chapel

B

UEW South Campus

New AKOSUA School

°

0

0.25 0.5

1

1.5

Kilometers 2

34

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Preliminary Vision for Infrastructure The theme of infrastructure focuses on the most critical municipal infrastructures that will work toward the mutual health of Winneba and Muni Lagoon. Infrastructure plays a pivotal role in uniting the city and landscape in Winneba; it is the tangible connection that ties residents’ behavior to their environment. Infrastructure is also essential to the functionality of other sectors within Winneba, including the economy and education. We framed our infrastructure analysis around three categories: transportation, solid waste management, and wastewater treatment. After analyzing the existing conditions in Winneba, we developed interventions in each category that we believe would provide cost-effective improvements to infrastructural conditions in the city while also educating residents about the significant impact their behavior has on the surrounding landscape.

Transportation infrastructure is the backbone of city development and plays an important role in uniting city and landscape.

The road system in Winneba could be developed and improved for tourism and economic development, with green and grey drainage systems, grade- separated sidewalks, bike lanes, and shade trees for pedestrian comfort and safety.

Winneba’s current solid waste management infrastructure is inadequate and its improvement is crucial for the benefit of city, lagoon, and the broader landscape. The plan calls for implementing and testing a program of trash collection bins for garbage and plastics around the city center and campuses as a first step to provide a much needed option to place trash responsibly and reduce the volume of trash flowing indiscriminately into the streets and waterways.

Wastewater management is an additional infrastructure component that Winneba is currently lacking. While the current water supply now provides fairly clean water for household use in the city, little progress has been made in treating waste water either from the city or from agricultural areas. This lack of wastewater management calls for the incorporation of infrastructures, at small and long term scales, from routine street gutter cleaning, to bio-gas toilets, to constructed wetlands and wastewater stabilization ponds.

35

Reuniting City and Landscape

Legend Waste Stabilization Ponds Runoff Runoff (with agricultural runoff ) Landfill Community Trash Collection Site 0.5 mile Buffer (10min walk) 0.25 mile Buffer (5min walk) Proposed Road Recycling Center Public Toilets

°

0

0.25 0.5

1

1.5

Kilometers 2

36

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Preliminary Vision for Economy The theme of economy studied how local employment could be spurred through innovative business entrepreneurship that is built around the lagoon resources and the Effutu cultural heritage. Currently, local economic activities consist primarily of small-scale artisanal fishing and agriculture, along with informal manufacturing, retail, and services. Training and business coaching programs can work with farmers to scale up operational efficiencies and growth of their business, and help create new livelihoods in emerging new markets. Investments in aquaculture have been suggested to combat current unsustainable fishing practices, in­crease employment, and diversify the city’s longstanding fishing industry. This team studied the re-purposing the several abandoned salt ponds around the lagoon for fisheries, aquaculture, and other economically driven purposes. Innovative upcycling and recycling industries, some of which are now appearing in Accra, could find their way into the Winneba business scene.

The University of Education is the city’s largest economic employer, and its large student population creates huge spillover demands for local housing, shopping, and transportation services. Expanding the outreach of UEW into the community could yield substantial economic benefits to the Winneba community over the next fifty years.

Winneba has many cultural and geographic assets that can promote business startups in tourism. A sustainably-pursued tourism industry is well-understood to be an economic multiplier and has the potential to lift the retail, recreation, transport, infrastructural, and service sectors. The Muni Lagoon in particular, with its population of migratory birds and views of stunning waterways, and beach fronts presents an opportunity to draw visitors for recreational and ecotourism. Its beauty dovetails with its cultural significance to the Effutu people, and has the potential to work in tandem with the many cultural attractions to be found in Winneba itself. Businesses focused on recreational kayaking and hiking could be founded. A longer term economy-building goal (later described in this report) is to build an ecotourism/education center on the lagoon for the Ghana Wildlife Commission and UEW to collaborate in scientific research and education pursuits.

The region also has the potential to build on the city of Winneba itself as a historic seaside fishing village with rich architecture, urban markets, and developing beach resorts. Opportunities exist to increase awareness of the rich Effutu heritage and history of the region. One such low-cost, high-impact intervention could be to develop a series of informational signs and self-guiding interpretive maps that could take visitors throughout Winneba and out to the lagoon. A program to develop cultural tourism would foster new jobs and build upon the city’s heritage Aboakyer and Fancy Dress Festivals.

37

Reuniting City and Landscape

Legend Paved Unpaved Track Footpath

ECOTOURISM

Windy Bay Street Cultural Tourism Route Historical Attraction

Waterbodies

Visitor Center

2m flood zone

Boats/ Canoes/ Paddle Boards/Kayaking Rentals

Buildings Agriculture Social Productive City Space

Fishery Aquaculture Coastline Tourism Cultural Tourism

Aquapon-

Accommodation Hospitality

Solar Energy

University

Recycling

Kayak Center

Mangrove Res-

Research and Tourism Center

2019 Spring

2019 Fall Proposal

Text

Recycling Industry

Craftsmanship Retailing Aquaculture Processing Agriculture

°

0

0.25 0.5

1

1.5

Kilometers 2

38

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

New Delineation of Management Zones

LegendCRITICAL AREA: restrict development.

Paved establish co-management by the city, tribal authorities, and Wildlife Commission.

Unpaved adopt sustainable agricultural practices.

Track preserve view sheds to lagoon basin and Manku. protect upper watersheds and monitor water Footpath quality from city and agricultural areas.

Waterbodies

2m flood zone

Legend Paved

Footpath Waterbodies

Main Route

2m flood zone

Secondary Route

Buildings

Festival Site / Potential Sites

Track

Legend Paved Unpaved Track Footpath Waterbodies 2m flood zone Buildings

Initial Interventions Mangrove Reforestation Site

39

Initial Interventions

Historic / Cultural Route Riparian Cooridor Restoration

Mangrove Reforestation Site

Potential Research Center

Bird watching Tower

Bicycle Lane

Boat Launch

Trash Collection (10min walk buffer)

Main Route Secondary Route Festival Site / Potential Sites

Trash Collection (5min walk buffer)

Historic / Cultural Route

Stormwater Wetland

Riparian Cooridor Restoration

Low-salinity Aquaculture

Potential Research Center Bicycle Lane

Bird watching Tower Boat Launch

prohibit development. (service vehicle road access only)

Initial Interventions establish co-management by the city, tribal authorities, and

Wildlife Commission. allow low-impact foot Site traffic and kayaking only.

Mangrove Reforestation preserve view sheds to lagoon basin and Manku.

Bird watching Tower through reforestation and natural succession. restore landscape prohibit overnight tourism.

Boat Launch

Unpaved

Summary Map

Buildings CORE CONSERVATION AREA:

Trash Collection (10min walk buffer)

Reuniting City and Landscape

YENKU PRESERVE ‘B’

ARM MF A YA ROP

C

DE ASA

FOREST RESERVE

BEWADZE nsu Aye

UEW NORTH

r

Rive

CRITICAL AREA

Ayensu River Basin

dit Tra

Festival Site

nd rou

G ing

unt

al H

ion UEW CENTRAL

CORE CONSERVATION AREA

City Center Fish Market Fishing Area

UEW SOUTH

Muni Lagoon

Manku Mountain

Resort

YENKU PRESERVE ‘A’

Mankwadze

°

0

0.5

1

2

Kilometers

40

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

The accompanying map represents the range of design projects carried out by students in the School of Architecture in the Fall 2019 to reunite the two entities of lagoon and city.

Students were tasked with making programmatic proposals on sites they selected across the city or lagoon to benefit education, local economies, and a greater ecological health. The designs are the outcome of their research in the school and subsequent travels to Ghana where they worked and carried out field investigations with Geography Education students at UEW.

41

Reuniting City and Landscape

UEW North Campus

10

The Muni Lagoon Park P50

Research Center For Healthy Agriculture and Waterways P134 01 Winneba Secondary School

Community Recycling Center P72

03

UEW Poultry and Cattle Raising Farms

08

Research Center For Green Urban Development P118 in dra Current Festival Site ond sec Urban Flows Park P60 first

n

drai

02

Bridging the Gap with a Welcome Center P126 UEW Central Campus

09

Productive Saltponds P96

grazing land

UEW Playfield

Penkye Otu Park P78 UEW South Campus

06

04 07

6 meter no-build line plant with coconut trees

Productive Social Space P106

Lagoon Active Learning Sites P88 05

Student Proposals to Unite Winneba Muni Lagoon STUDENT PROJECTS FOR WINNEBA RESEARCH ANDand ECO-TOURISM CENTER

Prepared

by University of Virginia of Architecture | Fall Semester 2019 Studio prepared

by University of Virginia School ofSchool Architecture | Fall 2019

42

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Systems Mapping We understand Muni Lagoon and the city of Winneba as a single, intertwined entity whose ecologies and histories are shared across geographic boundaries.

The traditional Effutu narrative describes the tribe’s arrival and founding at Winneba based on first ascending Manku Mountain and viewing the lagoon. Earlier patterns of life connected Winneba residents regularly to the lagoon to fish, hunt, cut wood and revere their gods. In recent times, however, that relationship has weakened. The Winneba and University community know little of the lagoon’s existence, and conduct waste management, fishing, agricultural, and timbering activities that now threaten its health.

SOLID WASTE FLOW Residential solid waste includes: food wastes, paper, cardboard, plastics, textiles, leather, yard wastes, wood, glass, metals, ashes, consumer electronics, batteries, oil, tires

Josh Hadley-Goggin | ARCH 8010

Can the overlap of water flow + solid waste be seen as an opportunity towards promoting waste management in Winneba, Ghana?

s ce du aste pro tic w s try un pla co of . es the es uc daily lly mnn d a to nu pro aste An illion ba m ne of w 1.7 Win nes ton 28

The following maps were part of an exercise intended to recover those infrastructures and systems that connect city and lagoon across artificial geographic boundaries. The maps illustrate how the lagoon’s watershed includes flows both from farm-impacted streams and urban street gutters, and how restoring land cover must include not only replanting mangroves and forests in the lagoon, but also planting street trees and preserving trees in the city’s preserves. A systems approach also suggests strongly that future tourism and the Aboakyer Festival are strengthened if the stories and sacred spaces of city and lagoon are linked in a full narrative.

Management of solid waste is a problem in developing countries. Citizens burn, bury, or toss out their waste into the street. Eventually, all waste follows the contours of the topography, gravity fed by water flows into gutters, water streams, and ends up in the Muni Lagoon or the Gulf of Guinea. Waste management is not sufficient in the area. As solid waste infiltrates water streams, bleeds into agricultural lands, or becomes stranded at bends in the gutters, fauna begins to consume. There are no buffer zones between fauna and waste. This is tragic: one, to the animal, and two, to the the population who is at risk for consuming the now contaiminated animal.

Primary zones being affected by this contimanation: the coastal beach, the open fields / salt ponds along the lagoon, and the Ayensu river, which is located next to the only landfill in the city. Researchers at the University of Education Winneba contribute the source of the problem to be, “erroneous attitudes in people”.

Is it possible to see these flows as opportunities instead of hazards?

In Jukwa, 11% recycle or reuse

In Jukwa, 11% bury

In December 2017, the Effutu Assembly had 10 refuse containers, 10 tricycle operators, 2 waste trucks

In Jukwa, 77% of residents burn

Photo from Agbogbloshie Landfill, Accra, Ghana. Taken by Peter Yeung, 2019.

Ghananewsagency.org (2018), “We Need Attudinal Change On Waste Management - UEW Students” Adu-Boahen, K., Atampugre, G., Antwi, K.B., Osman, A., Osei, K.N., Mensah, E.A. and Adu-Boahen, A.O. (2014), “Waste management practices in Ghana: challenges and prospect, Jukwa Central Region”, International Journal of Development and Sustainability, Vol. 3 No. 3, pp. 530-546

B A1

B1 A

Streams Simulate Streams 10 Feet Elevation 8 Feet Elevation 6 Feet Elevation Legend

4 Feet Elevation

N

Solid Waste Flow Path and Direction

Region Under 10 Feet Elevation

Buildings, Orgins of Solid Waste Gutters

Previous Built Area

Streams Solid Waste Bottlenecks / Opportunties Contours

Existing Built Area

Roads Ocean, Lagoon, River or Landfill

Prediction of future Built Area

Livestock High Risk Zones

Solution of Runoff Equation

Runoff and Flooding Zone | Kui Cai 43 A

B

A1

B1

Runoff Curve Numbers

Soil Waste Flow | Josh Hadley -Goggin

1:1675m

December

November

October

September

August

July

June

May

April

March

February

SOLID WASTE BUDGETING OF WINNEBA

Reuniting City and Landscape

PRANJAL SHARMA| ARCH 4010

PROBLE BU

Trauma Hospital

Wb B Wb

Klimovic Hospital K K

F

Preserved Forest

H

Ntakrafah River F Sh Sh

UEW North Campus

W

Education & Social Science

F

Sh

St Sh

St

R

Sh

F

St

Wb W

K

Green

St

R

St St

St Sh

Green

St

H

St

W

F

F

G

W

T H

Sh

F

T

R

O

T

St

W

Sp

W

H

Wb

Wb

T

Sh H Wb

Wb

W

W

O

Sp

G

K

Wb

g Targets e ngsher

T

W

G

W

E

R

Pankye

G

O

G

E

Ideological Institute

Waste-Prone Sites Clean sites A block covers 500x500 meters Schools Church UEW Campuses .5 Mile Zoomline Trash collection

Old Town

Green

O T

LEGEND

UEW South Campus Science & Business

G

E

W

*The matrix of 500m x 500m is a depiction of areas on the basis of their sanitary conditions in accordance with the intensity of the color. The cleaner areas are much lighter whereas the unsanitary areas are in darker boxes.

E Green

Sir Charles Beach

T

Wb

Open Grassland

c Grass Tail Grass

T

H

Akosua Village

E

B

ss

G

H

Wb

Fishing Market

R

T T

Wb

E

T R

Theatre & Arts

G

K F

UEW Central Campus

Green

SSpp

Proposed Birding Path

Green

0

Bird Watching Blind

Bird Habitat and Land Cover | Grant Kuczler

0.175 0.35

0.7

1.05

km

1.4

°

SANITARY LANDFILL CONSTRUCTION Solid Waste-Waste Management | Pranjal Sharma WASTE RECYCLING AND ENERGY BUILDING

Landfill Gas Conversion & Bio-gas Plant

Desilting Basin

Decomposing waste in landfill naturally produces Methane gas.

The gas is collected through pipes then sent officially for conversion to renewable energy or to be flared.

Desilting Basins help protect our streams and ocean. They capture storm water runoff and trap sediment, keeping it from entering the storm water

Sanitary L

Separating Bi

Condensate and Leachate Storage Tanks Leachate is liquid that results from decomposing waste. Condensate in the liquid that forms inside their landfill gas collection system.

These liquid are collected and stored in tanks. Some of the collected liquid is used for dust control

Less than 8 % NON BIODEGRADABLE 7.68 Tonnes/day

Creating a Cell Each day trash is placed, compacted and covered with a layer of soil in sections until a specified type is reached, forming a cell.

3

Biodegrada

Thickets / Grassland Flora Neem Tree Yoruba Fleuggea (Panacea) Horsewood Birdwatching Targets African Fire Finch African Harrier Hawk Warbler Bulbul Long-Tailed Bush Shrike

Secondary Forest Flora Eucalyptus Prickly Ash Monkey Cola Black Wattle Birdwatching Targets Weaver Finch Red Winged Warbler Olive Sunbird Great Sparrow Hawk

Hydrology with Vegetation | Mengyuan Duan

Lagoon Flora White Mangrove Red Mangrove Sea Purslane Salt Couch Reeds Birdwatching Targets Western Reef Heron Royal Tern Little Egret Eurasian Oystercatcher Roseate Tern

Biogas is produce anaerobic organi fermentation of b manure, municip food waste.

Environmental Protection 1. To control dust, trucks continously spray dirt areas with water that has been “recycled” at the landfill.

40% Kitchen w + 10% cow du +50% water Slurry Preparation Tank

2. Portable screens are used to trap and collect any stray litter, to keep it from flying away. They can be moved based on wind direction.

Non

Winneba produc (0.318 kg/person 80,000) =25 tonn day of biodegrad waste

3. Special misting machines spray a very fine mist into air to help odours.

Winneba has the c Which can fire up

Master Plan - Urban Growth | Zi Zhuo 44

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Four linear transects connecting city and lagoon were devised for student teams to explore different neighborhoods across the city and the city’s relationship to the lagoon. Covering Muni Lagoon from the southern shores up to the northern extend of the lagoon, the transects offered insights into the range of communities living in Winneba—fishing villagers along the barrier and in the old city, government controlled areas, university students, high and low income. In the studio, students researched the population statistics of the neighborhoods, the hydrological and topographic conditions of their transects, and the daily life patterns and routes of residents going to work, play, and markets.

In Winneba, they then traversed their transects with UEW students, who could offer firsthand accounts of living in the city. This led to UVA students confirming, enhancing, or even rejecting their earlier findings. The findings ultimately became the basis for students to select a site in the city or on the lagoon with the underlying purpose to build opportunities for both lagoon and city through their designs.

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Reuniting City and Landscape

Transect Mapping Through the City of Winneba

Prepared by University of Virginia School of Architecture | Fall 2019 Studio

46

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Transect 1 | TARIN JONES, PRANJAL SHARMA, MENGYUAN DUAN, TAYLOR KITCHENS

SOCIAL MOVEMENT MAP

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Reuniting City and Landscape

WATER FLOW MAP

Section 2

Section 1

Section 5

Section 3

Section 4 Section 2

Section 1 100m

50m

Grassland

30m

Residents Encroachment

30m

50m

Pratu River

100m

Grassland

50m

Residents

Section 4 100m

Section 3 100m

30m

Residents Encroachment

30m

Ntakofam River

50m

100m

Residents Encroachment

100m

Residents

50m

Residents

30m

30m

Ntakofam River

50m

Agriculture Encroachment

100m

Agriculture

Section 5 50m

30m

30m

50m

100m

100m

50m

30m

30m

50m

Soil Profile

100m

Dark grey loam or clay loam topsoil Agriculture (Possible pollution)

Agriculture Encroachment

Ntakofam River

Agriculture Encroachment

Agriculture (Possible pollution)

Agriculture (Managed)

Infrustructures

Forest

Ntakofam River

Forest

Agriculture (Managed)

Managed grassland within UEW campus

Light olive brown clay with few ironstone and manganese dioxide concretions Bedrock: Upper Birimian rocks consist predominantly of volcanic lavas, schists, phyllites and greywackes with minor intrusions of granite.

0

10m

50m

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Transect 2 | ANDREA ARAGON, SARA HALL,BRANDON ADAMS, JOSH HADLEY-GOGGIN

$$

$$$ $$

$$$ $$

ACTIVE EDUCATION PATH RESEARCH CENTER / BOTANICAL RECYCLING CENTER URBAN DEVELOPMENT

$

ALTERNATIVE FARMING

LOW INCOME MIDDLE INCOME HIGH INCOME EXISTING TREES PROPSED REFORESTATION FOREST FARM LAND NO FARM ZONE MAIN DRAIN PRIMARY SCHOOL SECONDARY SCHOOL BUSINESS COLLEGE UEW CAMPUS BUILDINGS YANSU RIVER ROADS COMMERCIAL DRIVE

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Reuniting City and Landscape

HIGH INCOME HOUSING

URBAN ENCROACHMENT

TENSION 2 COMMERCIAL DRIVE UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA

ACACIA

PICKENBERRY

NEEM

PAPAYA

CASAVA

PLANTAIN

FARMLANDS

STREAM + BUFFER

TENSION 3 UNPLANNED SETTLEMENT V. FLOODPLAINS

UEW/ MID - INCOME HOUSING TENSION 1 FORESTRY V. UEW NORTH

FOREST RESERVE

WINN EBA S ECOND ARY S CHOOL

GEOGRAPHERS

TOURISM

TEACHERS

EDUCATION

GOVERNMENT JOBS

ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCHERS

CONSERVATION

PROFESSORS

FUTURE COLLEGE STUDENTS

BUSINESS OWNERS

HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION TEACHERS

OUTFLOWS

POULTRY

CABBAGE

MAIZE

CATTLE

CACTI

OKRA

PIGS

BANANA

PEPPERS

FISH CRABS OYSTERS

PHYSICAL BARRIERS

UNIVERSITY OF EDUCATION, WINNEBA

FOREST RESERVE

INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS

COMMERCIAL DRIVE MARKETS

COMMERCIAL DRIVE RESIDENTS

SOCIAL TENSIONS

HIGH INCOME RESIDENTS

AGRICULTURE 50

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The goal to sustain the Muni Lagoon’s health depends on changing human activities and improving practices on the lagoon to ensure the long term protection of the waters and land from building encroachment. Measures must be enacted by the city to reduce trash and improve the quality of urban and household water flows that are currently going untreated into the lagoon. Proposals that follow suggest a range of ideas from filtering and cleaning the urban water that flows from the street gutters into the lagoon to replanting mangrove buffers along stream corridors to implementing trash and recycling programs.

Building on our most recent discussions with the Site Manager, City Planner, and Paramount Chief, students show a proposal to plant a continuous row of coconut trees along the lagoon/city boundary to mark the limits of future construction on the lagoon and address the continuing problem of illegal housing encroachment on the lagoon.

Preserving Muni’s Infrastructure Making a More Welcoming and Clean City Creating Environmental Economies Building an Eco-Tourism and Research Center

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53

The Muni Lagoon Park A Resilient Town Park System Mengyuan Duan

54

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Seasonal inland flooding and storm water management have been longstanding problems in the city of Winneba.

This project considers an opportunity to deal with seasonal flooding in the north lagoon region through a new park system. The design is intended to restore the Ntakrafah River waterway, while also providing spaces and amenities for social interaction and recreation. The project is designed to bring awareness to a broad audi­ ence about the degradation of stream waterways and to demonstrate how landscape infrastructures can be implemented and act as a catalyst for city develop­ment. A series of detailed landscape and river conditions are described with various restorative measures applied to detain and filter runoff and stabilize river banks. Flood resilient public spaces and amenities are inserted, including new bike-way and pedestrian networks that accommodate movement between the lagoon and city across Commercial Drive. This project will be an asset to the multiple groups who reside in the north area, and especially benefit the many University and schoolage students in their daily passages.

55

Reuniting City and Landscape

56

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

57

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58

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Legend New Trees Recreational Fields Stream Buffer 1 Stream Buffer 2 Main Road Bike Trail Walking Trail

Rain Garden Map

See Detail Map B

See Detail Map A

See Detail Map C

Plan Map

59

Reuniting City and Landscape

60

61

One of the Lagoon Management Committee goals is to improve the appearance of Winneba. Developing programs to clean the streets of trash and maintain the street gutters free of plastics and waste will result in a more welcoming, attractive and safe environment benefiting city residents, children, and visiting tourists.

Undertaking a program of street tree planting for the comfort of pedestrians and commercial vendors, creating shaded, comfortable, and accommodating public urban spaces, and providing clean and serviced public toilets will be critical. The following projects by students investigate what could happen if unbuilt, neglected or contaminated spaces in the city were claimed and converted into city gardens that are both beautiful and accommodating.

Through a holistic incorporation of tree plantings, soil remediation techniques, and storm water detention and filtering basins, and trash collection, valuable ecosystem services can be reestablished to enhance the livability of Winneba and ultimately the health of Muni Lagoon.

Preserving Muni’s Infrastructure Making a More Welcoming and Clean City Creating Environmental Economies Building an Eco-Tourism and Research Center

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63

Urban Flows Park A Proposed Gateway for Entry into Winneba Carly Tominovich

64

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

This project studies street water flows and flooding patterns in Winneba at the important and only traffic lit intersection on Commercial Drive. The site is a small, but highly visible, open space where major storm water channels intersect, sending untreated water flows out toward the lagoon. In former times it was a popular community gathering park with lush plantings, but today the site is trashed and untended. During heavy rains, it is an area that often floods. This project creates a welcoming gateway to the city and implements needed storm water and flood mitigation features. The design employs a terraced bioretention garden and an open-air pavilion with public toilets to establish a hub for the community and visitors.

Through its simple steps to demarcate pedestrian street crosswalks at this busy intersection, reestablish flood tolerant trees and shrubs, and engineer filtering bins that sit in the open channels to collect trash, the revitalized park will be restored as a jewel to the city of Winneba.

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Reuniting City and Landscape

Vegetation

Trash Disposal

CONSERVATION

Gutter Intersections

EDUCATION Collaborating with local primary/ secondary schools as well as UEW in order to make educational resources/programs available to visitors of the Garden.

Engaging in a partnership with the Forestry Commission & City Council to provide welcome services for visitors to bolster the tourism industry.

INFRASTRUCTURE Constructing bridges over gutters near the Garden and Main Drain to enhance connectivity to the Lagoon and re-purposed salt ponds.

Flo w

of W ate r

Utilizing the Pavilion and Garden as physical features to instill principles of conservation/ ecological preservation in residents and tourists.

ECONOMY

Space for Signage

r da

n co

n rai

yD

Se

Proposed Site

rain

in D

Ma

Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site

66

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

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Reuniting City and Landscape

68

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Intervention 1 | Bridging the Gap

Intervention 1 | Bridging the Gap

A network of bridges crossing over gutters A network the of revitalized bridges garden crossingaimover gutters surrounding to enhance surrounding the revitalized garden aim to walk-ability.

enhance walk-ability.

Intervention 2 | Pipe Drains

Pipes emerging 2from theDrains gutter underneath the Intervention | Pipe flood assist in water filtration and Pipesmitigation emergingpavilion from the gutter underneath the purification into thepavilion garden. assist in water filtration flood mitigation

and purification into the garden.

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Reuniting City and Landscape

Intervention 3 | Trash Grates

Grates installed at critical intersections of gutters allow for easy trash collection and further disposal, ensuring that the waste does not continue to flow with water.

Intervention 4 | French Drain

A French Drain at the south side of the pavilion will collect rainwater and roof water runoff to filter through gravel to later release into the bioretention garden.

70

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Bioretention Garden: The park features the terraced, planted bio-retention garden. During rainy seasons, the sunken terraces retain storm water temporarily, relieving downstream flows on the system. Water can reinfiltrate into the ground and sediment and trash can be settled out. While street water runoff may be deposited into the lowest terrace during the off-rainy season, the entire

71

terraced area will be submerged during heavy rains. Plants selected for the park will be chosen for their seasonal flowering interest as well as their ability to withstand periodic flooding.

Reuniting City and Landscape

72

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

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Reuniting City and Landscape

The pavilion is largely unprogrammed aside from the biofuel restrooms inside: it seeks to be a space defined by the interactions and activities of its visitors. Entering from the east off of Commercial Drive, visitors are immediately struck by the view of Manku Mountain and Muni Lagoon, a view made possible by keeping the structure’s western end entirely open to the landscape beyond it. By utilizing a louvered window system, the space harnesses the westward-moving winds in order to naturally ventilate

the interior. Juxtaposed against the transparency and openness of the north facing facade, the southern wall is constructed of concrete block units, which will create a surface to mount rotating displays of local art or information panels. Additionally, the interior contains hand-crafted screen barriers that allow the space to be separated into more intimate areas for pausing, relaxing, and conversing.

74

75

Community Recycling Center A Multi-Use Park for Winneba Sara Hall

76

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

This project proposes a community park on Windy Bay Drive at a major street intersection that links to many schools in the city. It utilizes the abandoned grounds and structure of the Presbyterian ‘Presby’ School as an educational space for the community.

Revitalizing this site takes advantage of many nearby schools, the open festival field to the north, and restores the beautiful school site with its lawn and mature trees, under which study pavilions would be placed. New buildings are proposed to go at the corner providing space for recycling and upcycling businesses. The facility gives residents a convenient location to bring their unused items and trash and provides an alternative solution to dumping and burning trash in household pits. Trash such as plastic, glass, and compost would be sorted for distribution to artists and makers to create new items for sale. A market place will occupy the lively street edge for vendors who deal with sustainable goods and recycled materials and goods. This project creates a beautiful park for the city, while supporting community education and reducing trash and waste.

77

Reuniting City and Landscape

d Win rive ay D

yB

View of Street Surrounding Park

Grounds of Site at the Present

Example of Goods to be Produced

Old School Building

Methodist Junior High School UEW Building

New Presbyterian School Winneba Business High School

dy Win Dr Bay

Winneba Secondary School

LEGEND Project Site Educational Building

ive Church of Christ Preparatory School

Surrounding Neighborhoods Map 78

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Open Field

Community Park & Study Pavilions

Community Center

rive

yD y Ba

d Win 1m 5m 10m

20m

New Recycling Center & Vendor Market

Building and Pavilion Plan

79

Reuniting City and Landscape

Project Site

Watershed Map

Building Sections

80

81

Penkye Otu Park Uniting Land, Sea, and Community Caroline Carr Grant

82

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Nkonsonkonson, a traditional Adinkra symbol used throughout Ghana, represents values of community, unity, and connection.

Nkonsonkonson Park has been designed as a point of social reconnection for all communities within Winneba and visitors.

Occupying a pivotal site on the coast in the old Penkye neighborhood, the park would reclaim a neglected and unsightly trash-filled site for the city to create a civic oasis for community education and gathering. This park overlooks the ocean from the top of the rocky cliff and highlights the natural beauty of Winneba’s setting. The park would be filled with trees and shrubs and focus on rehabilitating the contaminated soils and cliffs. This site will also function as an educational space creating an area where programs can be held to teach about nature, planting, and the history of their city.

83

Reuniting City and Landscape

Waste at Park Site

Fisherman at Fish Landing

Fish from Fish Smoking Facility

old town

akosua village

fishing la

nding

Park Site overlooking Ocean

Cliff

main drains vegetation/ salt pond

UEW campus

tourism / recreation schools

waste

fec atio

n

fish

0

0.25

0.5

De

cultural

main drains

sea depth < 0 ft

oon

R

ge

a Villa

u Akos

tation ut Plan Cocon

depth<16.4ft

rrent

lo

ÂŻ

vegetation/ salt pond tourism / recreation

n atio ecre

re cu ng sho

1 Kilometers akosua village

fishing area

schools

water body

fish waste

waste critical area

cultural

coastline with 2m sea level rise

L e g e n d existing coastline seasea level critical level rise rise critical areaarea fishing consumer fishingarea area ++consumer area area public house + park publicsmoke smoke house + park restore area resort area lagoon area lagoonbarrier barrier area

sea depth < 0 ft

akosua village akosua village main drains main drains vegetation/ salt pondpond vegetation/salt tourism / recreation tourism/recreation schools schools fish fish waste waste cultural cultural sea depth < 0 ft fishing area water body

sea depth < 0ft fishing area fishing area water body water body waste critical areaarea waste critical coastline with 2mlevel rise coastline with 2m sea sea level rise existing coastline existing coastline sea level Guide rise criticalMap area Visitors fishing area + consumer area public smoke house + park resort area

waste critical area

lagoon barrier area

84

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

open air pavilion with tables

Nkonsonkonson Park

street vendor stalls

Women's fish smoking building

open air pavilion with toilets

overlook and path down to water

Building and Site Plan 85

Reuniting City and Landscape

Building Section

Section Perspective 86

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

ROOF

toilet facility

gas outlet

collecting tank

CROSS BEAMS

Bio-Gas Toilet Diagram

new standard old standard

WOVEN WALL PANELS

bag disposed of left on ground plastic bag given at market

rocks used as open defecation site bag forgotten and disposed of on beach rocks

FLOOR SLAB

bags collected by women at fish smoking facility

bags woven by women into wall material

bags find new home as wall material for park pavilion

waste to wall diagram

Building Material Diagram

Building Construction Diagram

Diagrams

87

Reuniting City and Landscape

88

89

A core objective of this project is to reunite lagoon and city through economic development that provides jobs and develops a trained workforce around the resources of Muni Lagoon. Programs could be developed that coach farmers about better agri­cultural practices that are more productive and sustain healthy soils and waters.

Through alternative, profitable, lagoon-based industries, the communi­ty becomes invested as the stewards and protectors of Muni Lagoon into the future. Some examples that follow propose reusing the salt ponds for new aquaculture and aquaponics, and starting up innovative businesses such as mangrove and butterfly production.

In the interest to boost recreational tourism around the lagoon, students also made recom­mendations for a kayak­ ing business, and for a network of parks and walking trails enhancing access to the lagoon, the old city, and coastline.

Preserving Muni’s Infrastructure Making a More Welcoming and Clean City Creating Environmental Economies Building an Eco-Tourism and Research Center

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91

Lagoon Active Learning Sites

Keaton Fisher

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

This design intervention creates a network of active learning sites in and around the south Lagoon. Sites were located according to an assessment of the varied water quality in the lagoon which is routinely monitored. By occupying sites around the lagoon, the project seeks to increase awareness amongst community members about the research being conducted on the lagoon, expand access to other parts of the lagoon, and foster new businesses. The project is centered around a research center east of the lower salt pond to be shared by UEW Department of Geography and the Wildlife Commission. These offices and labs would be coupled with a recreational kayak launch, where boats can be rented and where tours and programs can be held. This increases access to the lagoon waters and provides a visible presence of the Commission. Tied to the center are ideas to repurpose the lower salt pond as a constructed wetland with mangroves which will purify water from the city streets, designate a public swimming area, and erect a bird watching tower. Along with kayaking, a new proposed trail system will expand transportation around the lagoon. By engaging students, local residents, and tourists in the protection of the Muni Lagoon, we can facilitate a process of recovery both in the community and among the employees dedicated to Muni Lagoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preservation.

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Reuniting City and Landscape R e d M a n g ro v e R h iz o p h o r a M a n g le Prefer slightly lower salinity levels, Large aerial roots systems, Excellent habitat for additional fauna

W h it e M a n g r o v e L a g u n c u la r ia R a c e m o s a Prefer slightly higher salinity levels, Lack of aerial roots systems, Develop farther inland than other mangrove species Fo re st A re a s Add nutrients to the soil, Often utilized for fuel, Provide shelter for birds and mammals

T h ic k e t s a n d S h r u b s Add nutrients to the soil, Aid in erosion prevention, Provide shelter for birds and mammals

W e t la n d G r a s s e s a n d Reeds Filter/regulate water, Aid in erosion prevention, Provide shelter for birds and marine life

QUICK POINTS: - Salinity and Conductivity are almost symmetrical -Excluding an anomaly in the conductivity at Station B in June - Salinity is more variable farther from the shoreline -When the lagoon is open the salinity is much more stable, especially near the shore -Total Dissolved Solids dropped steadily from April to June - Most likely in relation to the rainy season -Station D dropped more radically and earlier, impacting the rest of the lagoon

Mangrove Reforestation Study

94

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Key cultural points located within transect: 1) Windy Bay Resort 2) St. Charles Beach 3) Lagoon Lodge 4) Local Prison and Fish Mongers 5) Royal Cemetery 6) Fish Market 7) Primary Shrine 8) Sea Barrier Opening (seasonal) 9) Agricultural Land 10) Main Drain (gray water and solid waste)

Regional Site Plan

Water Flows 95

View Map

Reuniting City and Landscape

Vehicle Parking

Research Center & Kayak Rental Station

Boat Launch

Research Center Detail Plan

Mangrove Wetlands in Old Salt Pond

Research Center Site Plan

Research Center: East to West Section 96

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Proposed Trail System

Swimming Area

Design Proposal Water Purification Channe

Saltpond Section

Agriculture Agriculture

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Design Proposal Water Purification Channel

MuniMuni Lagoon Lagoon

Salt Ponds

Salt Ponds

Reuniting City and Landscape

Bird Watching Tower

Foot Trails

Bird Watching Tower

Research Center: East to West Section bedrock sand Design Proposal Water Purification Channel

gravelly clay

Akosua Village

clay ground water

Akosua Village

Failed

Salt Ponds

Waste Failed Waste Mangrove MangroveReforestation Reforestation Deposit Deposit

Work Work Space Space

dirt road

Gulf of Guines Gulf of Guinea

Housing+Mixed Use Coconut CoconutFarm Farm Housing+Mixed Use

98 0

25

50

100

99

Productive Saltponds

Xiaowei Lin

100

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Large salt pond basins sitting west of the city at the southern end of the lagoon are remnants of a once vibrant salting industry in Winneba.

The constructed basins ponds are major landform features of the lagoon landscape, but they sit for the most part unused with little connection to the lives of city residents beyond the few village fisherman who catch fish and oysters there. While the fishing industry remains critical to the local economy, the quantity and size of their catches are decreasing. Additionally, the problem of child trafficking to support the fishing industry continues.

This project explores how the ponds could once again become a productive infrastructure that supports new livelihoods, such as aquaponics and sustainable tourism. Adding to the goals to build a stronger economy, is the wish to reconnect the city residents back to a healthier and beautiful Muni Lagoon.

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A detailed analysis shows how the salt ponds are in fact already helping to play a role in cleaning the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s waste water from ground surfaces, households, and street gutters. The project proposes how city water flows could be even more effectively treated by re-engineering the flows through the basins planted with mangroves or other phyto-remediating plants that will decontaminate the water.

Oyster cultivation operations could be introduced into basins utilizing the oystersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; natural digesting processes that traps particles, sediment and contaminants to further cleanse the water.

Additionally, ideas such as introducing tilapia and vegetable aquaponic farming and ecotourism, are suggested as ways to re-purpose the basins and revitalize the local economy.

Reuniting City and Landscape

Phase 1 | 2020

Phase 2 | 2025

Phase 3 | 2030

Phase 4 | 2050

102

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Climate Salinity Levels

CLIMATE AND SEA LEVEL RISE

103

Reuniting City and Landscape

Rethinking the Water System in the Salt Ponds

104

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Reconstruction | Reconnection | Revitalization

105

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Re-purposed and Revitalized Salt Ponds 106

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

RECIRCULATING AQUAPONICS SYSTEM

Algae

Protein Skimmer

Sand Filter Quarantine Area

Brine Shrimp

UV Lamp

Pump

Energy from Solar Company

Biological Filter

Dumoper

Food from Colored Saltponds

Oxygen Generators Oxygen Cone

Selection

Office and Laboratory

More Space for Growth

Water from Lagoon

Incubation Pool

Nursery Pool

Water Inlet Pipe

Water Outlet Pipe

Hydroponics Vegetable Planting Bed Grow-up Pool

OYSTER FARM

Platform for Fishery and Recreation

Water Source

Using the Shells to be the Mother Shell for New Oyster Larvae Set on

Food

Brackish Water Wash into the Ponds During the Rain Season

Filtering the Water and flowing into lagoon

Using the Shells to Build the Culth and Form the Beds for Vegetation

Rack & Bag Culture

Longline Culture of Oyster and Algae Farm

Mangrove and Typhan Roots Filter the Water and Provide the Shelter for Wildlife.

Bottom Culture

Suspended Stake Culture

Suspended Tray Culture Clean Water from Mangrove Park

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Reuniting City and Landscape

Year-round Calendar of Activities

108

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Productive Social Spaces

Xinhui Chen

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Winneba is a city of many communities that includes fishermen, University students and faculty, business workers, farmers, and tourists. This project explores the connection between these communities with their built urban environment, and the surrounding ocean and lagoon.

Addressing a wide range of needssuch as the need for social space, for green space, and for various forms of waste management systems - this project creates a network of public gardens that fulfill multiple shared needs and bring groups together. One central element of these proposed garden parks is the cultivation of fruitbearing plants, which contribute to replanting the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urban forest and yield jobs and income.

Adopting a bottom-up landscape strategy, this design draws on community input to make their own decisions about how to transform their existing vacant lands and streets into productive spaces.

The process includes three stages.

First, the community will discuss

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together their communal needsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; water and sanitation needs, which trees to plant, and distribution of work. The cooperative process of constructing their park will start to foster a sense of community. Second, the establishment of water and waste infrastructures in each garden will turn these gardens into integral meeting spaces for community members.

Third, the fruit trees will start to bear fruit after several years of continuous growth. Fruit harvesting of mango and coconut, which occurs around May, then becomes part of Winnebaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s major event -namely the Aboakyer Festival- and can promote social relationships among Winnebarians.

As the project expands to more and more communities in Winneba, a multi-species green corridor with a connected sanitation system will take shape. People of different communities can share with each other the fruits grown from their own homes, and revel in this dynamic and collaborative social mediator.

Reuniting City and Landscape

City Axon 112

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Site Section 113

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Comprehensive Tree List

114

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Site #1 Axon

115

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Mango Study

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Site #2 Axon

117

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Coconut Study

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The Lagoon Management Committee has established a new research and eco-tourism center as one of its top goals to accommodate research groups, promote education and training on sustainable livelihoods, and maintain Muni’s ecological integrity. The following designs for a center were carried out on various sites that reach from the south beach area up to the lagoon’s upper watershed and streams. The students selected their own sites based on their research and fieldwork in Winneba. Their selections were based on the following criteria:

Preserving Muni’s Infrastructure

1. Site is unbuilt upon and is not planned as a future building site .

2. Good road and vehicular access for staff and visitors.

Making a More Welcoming and Clean City

3. Equal ease of access for both Wildlife Division and UEW North Campus users.

4. Site has the potential to improve water quality and flora/fauna.

5. Site provides an opportunity for livelihood development, such as agriculture, vegetation, fishing, etc.

Creating Environmental Economies Building an Eco-Tourism and Research Center

6. Site is buildable based on soils and anticipated seasonal flood­ing and sea-level elevation predictions.

In designing their centers, students were tasked to develop a building and associated outdoor spaces with needed public and research accommodations. Each needed to respond to the specific character, capacities, and opportunities of the site they chose. Some took advantage of their site’s proximity to schools and existing neighborhoods to improve community access to education and housing, while students with project sites near the main drainage channels developed schemes to help purify storm water runoff. In the end, all students tested their site’s potential to be a catalyst of change for environmental health and social justice.

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Research Center For Green Urban Development

Brandon Adams

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Winneba is combatted by two forces: sea-level rise and rapid urban growth, much of which is unplanned. This project proposes a new housing and research area south of the Winneba Secondary school and is based on the design principles of conservation, econ­ omy, infrastructure, and education. The site is an unbuilt piece of land that sits behind the ‘nobuild’ line on the lagoon at 6 meters above future flooding conditions.

The plan lays out a system of in­ frastructure (roads, water, electricity) pro­ jecting from a new research center, creating a framework for new houses and other facilities to be construct­ ed with needed utility service. Seasonal inland flooding and storm water management have been long-standing problems in the city of Winneba. This project considers an opportunity to deal with seasonal flooding in the north lagoon region through a new park system. The design is intended to restore the Ntakrafah River waterway, while also providing spaces and

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amenities for social interaction and recreation. The project is designed to bring awareness to a broad audi­ ence about the degradation of stream waterways and to demonstrate how landscape infrastructures can be implemented and act as a catalyst for city develop­ment. A series of detailed landscape and river conditions are described with various restorative measures applied to detain and filter runoff and stabilize river banks.

Flood resilient public spaces and amenities are inserted, including new bike-way and pedestrian networks that accommodate movement between the lagoon and city across Commercial Drive. This project will serve the multiple groups who reside in the north area, and especially benefit the many University and school-age students in their daily passages.

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Building in Flooding Zone

No Enforcement of Urban Planning

Illegal Connections to Water and Electricity

No Sea Level Rise Consideration

CURRENT PROJECTION

Population: 77,000 Sea Level: 0M

Population: 140,000 Sea Level: 0.8M City Flood Map

50 YEAR PROJECTION

Population: 300,000 Sea Level: 0.16M

Max. Sea Level Rise: 2M

Current Flood Line: 6M Design Proposal

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

New Urban Density 252 PROPOSED PARCELS = 1,000 PEOPLE (4-6 PEOPLE PER HOUSEHOLD) LAND COVERAGE: .446 KM2 RESIDENTIAL PERCENTAGE: 40% EDUCATIONAL PERCENTAGE: 14% PUBLIC PERCENTAGE: 10% GREEN SPACE PERCENTAGE: 36% NEW URBAN DENSITY = 2,250 PEOPLE/ KM2 DENSITY OF GHANA = 134 PEOPLE/ KM2

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Water Tower

Public Exhibition

Road Type 1 Wildlife Commission Administration UEW Classroom

Road Type 2

Outdoor Classrooms

Secondary School Classroom Primary School Classroom

Road Type 3 Intern Housing Community Center

Nursery Propagation Center

Teaching Gardens

Proposed City Block

1. Establish No-Build Line

Conservation Classroom

2. Establish Urban Growth Area

3. Create View to Manku Mountain

4. Establish Infrastructure

5. Infill with Housing

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

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Bridging the Gap with a Welcome Center Connecting City and Landscape Zi Zhuo

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Winneba is de­fined by water. To its south lies the Gulf of Guinea, to the west is the brackish yet eco­logically rich Muni Lagoon and to the east the Ayensu River. Today, Winneba is a city seeking to rebound from a certain level of economic, social and developmental stag­ nation. While much of its port and export/ import based economy was devastated by the opening of more sophisticated deep water ports elsewhere, in recent decades tourism, education and festivals celebrat­ ing indigenous traditions have helped the community regain some of its former glo­ry.

As a bridge that carries residents and visitors over the low wetlands terrain from the city out to the lagoon.

Specific to the concept and function of a bridge, there are two core ideas.

On the one hand, this bridge structure links to many areas within the city and provides community space for use by local citizens and visitors. Additionally, consid­ ering that the building is located at the junction of the urban drainage system and lagoon, the bridge design incorporates filtration pools and terraces that will also function to cleanse wa­ter runoff from the city and contribute to restoring a healthy lagoon.

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Muni Lagoon and Fishing

Densification

Grassland and Farming

Wider Ecological Context

Man-made Hill

Water Terrace and Building Filter

Greenbelt to Salt Ponds

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Ground Site Plan

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Section 1

Section 2

Section 3

Section 4

Section Perspective

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Exploded Axonometric 135

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Experiential Perspectives 136

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Research Center For Healthy Agriculture and Waterways

Taylor Kitchens

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The land around the Ntakrafam River is in heavy demand for agriculture, which often encroaches upon the river buffer zone and negatively impacts the health of the river through agro-chemical and sediment runoff. This is likely to become a greater issue as the population of the city increases along with the demand for food and livelihoods.

The goal for this project is to promote a healthy relationship between the river, agriculture, and the city. This goal can be expressed in four key components: 1) integrate the river into the city; 2) integrate agriculture into the city; 3) promote and model sustainable and productive agriculture that addresses current and future food demands; and 4) establish public spaces that benefit the city.

These goals are addressed through the following interventions: a) the restoration of the riverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s buffer system; b) the establishment of systematic, regulated, small-scale agriculture on the site; c) the development of a green corridor

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system that connects the river, the city, and agriculture; and d) the creation of an Agriculture/Food Hub that combines a Lagoon Research Center, a public Marketplace, and an Agricultural Resource Center for local farmers.

Thus, this project establishes public space infrastructure in the green corridor in the form of the marketplace and support spaces for farmers. In this way, it promotes economic growth by establishing opportunities for livelihoods in agriculture and related industries while also improving access to food.

Conservation is at the core of these efforts as the goal is to maintain the health of the river and its connected waterways as well as to promote sustainable agricultural practices throughout the city. Along with offices, classrooms, and labs for UEW and Wildlife Commission, the fundamental aim of this project is to allow for education about the lagoon, the river, agriculture, food, and sustainability.

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Context Map

Spatial Goals of Research Center 140

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Site Plan 141

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Program Diagram | Separation of Spaces

Circulation Diagram | Flows of People

Wall Section Detail 142

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Upper Floor Plans

Ground Site Plan

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Experiential Perspectives

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Looking Ahead The Korle Lagoon, sitting 50km east of Winneba, was once a beautiful waterbody that supported a vibrant fishing economy in the capital city of Accra half a century ago.

Over the years, however, it had degraded to a level that it was described as “one of the most polluted water bodies on earth” in 2002. Fortunately in the 21st century, the Muni Lagoon still enjoys decent water quality and supports a wide range of species and livelihoods. However, because of current pressing challenges, the urgency to conserve the lagoon has never been more felt by more stakeholders than today. In 2019, several local leadership entities including the city’s Municipal Assembly, University of Education, Winneba (UEW), Ghana’s Forestry Commission, and the Effutu Traditional Council (chiefs of local tribes) joined forces for the first time to establish a Lagoon Management Committee. The committee aims to coordinate efforts across different agencies, work with local communities, and partner with the University of Virginia to find a sustainable and resilient future for both the Muni Lagoon and City of Winneba.

Many important actions are being taken right now.

--A project is underway to plant a line of coconut trees on the city/lagoon border in order to physically delineate the limit of where future housing can occur on the lagoon. The tree line would be a visible reference for residents to understand where they can and cannot build, and for officials to enforce legal building on the lagoon. At this time, the 6 Meter elevation above sea level was deemed a proper and reasonable ‘no-build’ limit above which houses would be safe from future flooding impacts and below which the lagoon’s hydrology and plant systems could be preserved.

-- A reader entitled “The Winneba Book” is currently being compiled and edited by Dr. Esther Dansu-Wiredu of the University of Education, covering topics from economy, government, ecology and the arts of Winneba. Andrews Agyekumhene of the Wildlife Division and Nancy Takahashi and Guoping Huang from The University of Virginia are co-authoring a chapter giving a cultural and ecological overview of Muni-Pomadze and its inter-dependent history and relationship with Winneba. Through the book, local students will be introduced to their geographic and cultural locale, so that they can become educated stewards of this unique landscape.

--The new Lagoon Management Committee is becoming the local entity to oversee projects related to the health of Muni Lagoon. Projects under discussion include law enforcement to curtail encroachment on the lagoon and traditional hunting grounds, improved new storm drainage infrastructures, and a newly mounted sanitation campaign, etc. Funding and stakeholder support is being sought to move forward several project proposals that emerge from UVA’s multi-year research and collaboration with the community:

CENTER FOR RESEARCH AND ECO-TOURISM The student proposals for a research and eco-tourism center on the lagoon yielded a number of sites and designs for consideration by the Wildlife Commission. The sites were ranked for their suitability based on a range of factors including access to roads and servicing, proximity to community and schools, the site’s location to oversee and manage the lagoon, the land’s ownership status, and the site’s elevation above the flooding.

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The site located south of the Secondary School (indicated in light red) was ultimately determined to be the optimal location. The land is an elevated knoll with commanding views that will allow a good management of the lagoon and raise the center’s visibility to the public. The terrain sits at 6 meters above sea level, setting it above seasonal flood levels and long term predictions of sea level rise. It is currently an unbuilt site, under the authority of the Wildlife Commission, and with few obstructing constructions on it.

Located off the new west bypass road and near the Aboakyer Festival site, the land is accessible by vehicle to researchers and visitors. A network of footpaths make the site equally accessible for residents, school-age students and university students attending the nearby north campus of UEW. Plans could incorporate UEW’s current poultry and cattle farms. Finally, the site’s location just north of the two major drainage channels from the city gives an opportunity for the project to address the issues of treating contaminated urban water flows into Muni. Tied to a proposal for a lagoon center are the following additional related proposals:

RECYCLING AND COMMUNITY CENTER The plan suggests to restore and re-purpose the grounds of the abandoned Presbyterian School on Winneba Bay Road. The building could be renovated into a community training center and social gathering space. The grounds could be turned into a new community park enhanced with new trees, walks, study pavilions, a recycling center, and new vendor market.

WELCOME PARK The site is an important and highly visible location at a major

traffic-lit intersection and is currently undeveloped. It could be planted and developed with art or murals, creating a beautiful point of arrival into and leaving the city.

Additionally, simple methods could be incorporated on this site to treat and clean currently untreated gutter water in the park before flowing into the lagoon.

STORM WATER DETENTION BASINS and SALT PONDS Large salt pond basins

sits abandoned at the south end of the lagoon and are remnants of a once vibrant industry. A plan suggests to invest and redevelop the ponds to support new livelihoods such as aquaponics for tilapia and oysters, and sustainable and cultural tourism.

The salt ponds are already playing an unintentional role in detaining and cleaning untreated city gutter water before it flows into the lagoon. The opportunity exists for the basins to be even more effective in improving water quality by designing the basins to capture water and planting them with contaminant-removing grasses and shrubs.

MANGROVE REPLANTING Mangroves have been effectively eliminated from the lagoon for firewood. This location along the stream was deemed a suitable location for cultivating new mangrove stands which would expand habitats for birds and fish.

Mangrove farms could serve as an instructive teaching garden for visitors and school age groups and provide a viable alternative agricultural farming industry for profit.

RECREATIONAL KAYAK LAUNCH

As a way to build local economies on the lagoon, water recreational programs and educational tourism are proposed and would include facilities for renting kayaks, kayak instruction, and touring the lagoon by boat and foot.

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LEGENDS RECYCLING + COMMUNITY CENTER

6 Meter no-build line plant with coconut trees Main Road Winneba Secondary School

Bypass New Trail

6 meter no-build line plant with coconut trees

Mangrove Restoration Research Center UEW Campus

UEW poultry and cattle raising farms

Storm Water Detention Basins

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PROPOSED RESEARCH CENTRE + RELOCATED FESTIVAL GROUNDS

Mangrove Restoration

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WELCOME PARK

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UEW Central Campus

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Mangrove Restoration

STORM WATER DETENTION BASINS

UEW Playfield

SALTPONDS redeveloped for new industries

Recreational Kayak Launch

UEW South Campus

6 meter no-build line plant with coconut trees

CORE CONSERVATION AREA

Winneba Research and Eco-Tourism Center Context Map

PROPOSAL FOR WINNEBA RESEARCH AND ECO-TOURISM CENTER Prepared

by University of Virginia School of Architecture | February 2020 prepared by University of Virginia School of Architecture

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February 2020

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

MUNI LAGOON CENTER | XIAOWEI LIN, TAYLOR KITCHENS

L o c a tio n M a p

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T h e p ro p o s a l to c re a te a L a g o o n C e n te r in W in n e b a G h a n a re p re s e n t s t h e a m b it io u s v is io n o f a W e s t A fric a n c o a s ta l c o m m u n it y fo r a h e a lt h ie r e n v iro n m e n ta l a n d e c o n o m ic fu t u re . It w ill b e a p la c e fo r c o m m u n it y g a t h e rin g , s c ie n t ifi c re s e a rc h a n d te a c h in g a ro u n d th e c u lt u ra l, n a t u ra l, a n d e c o n o m ic is s u e s o f W in n e b a a n d h u n d re d s o f c o a s ta l e q u a to ria l c it ie s s im ila rly s it u a te d n e x t to w e t la n d s t h a t fa c e t h e u n c e r ta in c h a lle n g e s o f c lim a te c h a n g e , s e a le v e l ris e , a n d e n v iro n m e n ta l d e g ra d a t io n . T h e m is s io n o f t h e c e n te r is m u lt ifo ld : -to b e a h u b a n d la b fo r re s e a rc h e rs a n d s c ie n tis t s to s t u d y c o a s ta l la g o o n a n d m a rin e s y s te m s a n d im p a c ts o f im p e n d in g c lim a te in d u c e d s e a le v e l ris e -to b rin g s t u d e n t s a n d v is ito rs o u t to t h e la g o o n to le a rn a b o u t la g o o n e c o lo g y a n d e x p e rie n c e it t h ro u g h h a n d s -o n t ra in in g a n d d e m o n s t ra t io n .

-to fo s te r c o lla b o ra t io n s b e t w e e n t h e G h a n a W ild life C o m m is s io n a n d U n iv e rs it y o f E d u c a t io n in p ro g ra m in g a n d re s e a rc h -to p o s it io n t h e W ild life C o m m is s io n o n th e la g o o n s o it c a n b e tte r c a rr y o u t it s m is s io n to w is e ly m a n a g e a n d s u s ta in t h e re s o u rc e s a n d u s a g e o f t h e la g o o n , a s w e ll a s o th e r R a m s a r S ite s in G h a n a .

-to c re a te a b e a u t ifu l p u b lic s e tt in g t h a t d ra w s t h e c o m m u n it y o u t to t h e la g o o n fo r e v e n t s a n d re c o n n e c t s t h e c o m m u n it y to it s c u lt u ra l h e rita g e .

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

C o n te x t M a p

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T h e k n o ll s ite e le v a te s th e v is ib ility o f th e o p e ra tio n s a n d m is s io n to p ro te c t a n d re s to re th e la g o o n â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s w a te rs a n d d w in d lin g m a n g ro v e a n d fo re s ts. T h e s ite a ls o b u ild s o n th e u n iv e rs ity â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s c u rre n t p o u ltr y a n d c a ttle fa rm s to th e n o r th th a t b e c o m e p a r t o f th e te a c h in g a n d re s e a rc h c o m p o u n d . T h e p la n e n v is io n s a n e a rb y s ite w h e re a n e w c o m m u n it y c e n te r a n d p a rk fo r th e Tra d itio n a l A u th o ritie s c o u ld b e c re a te d fo r g a th e rin g a n d e v e n ts fo r W in n e b a re s id e n ts.

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L a g o o n C e n te r M a p

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A p u b lic g ra s s e d la w n w ith tre e s w o u ld b e th e c e n te rp ie c e o f a b u ild in g c o m p le x h o s tin g th e G h a n a W ild life C o m m is s io n , th e D e p a r tm e n ts o f G e o g ra p h y a n d E n v iro n m e n ta l S c ie n c e o f U n iv e rs it y o f E d u c a tio n , W in n e b a c o n n e c te d b y a c o v e re d p o rc h e s a n d w a lk w a y. A m u ltiu s e c e n tra l b u ild in g w ith s p a c e s fo r p u b lic g a th e rin g s, m e e tin g s, a n d e x h ib its w o u ld s e r v e b o th o rg a n iz a tio n s, a s w e ll a s lo c a l c o m m u n it y.

It c o u ld a ls o b e u s e d a s a v is ito r c e n te r in th e fu tu re fo r w e lc o m in g g u e s ts a n d e d u c a tin g th e m a b o u t th e u n iq u e c u ltu ra l a n d n a tu ra l la n d s c a p e s in W in n e b a .Te rra c e d a g ric u ltu ra l d e m o n s tra tio n p lo ts, o u td o o r c la s s ro o m s, w o rk y a rd s, a n d tre e n u rs e rie s w o u ld e x p a n d th e fa c ility â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s c a p a c ity fo r tra in in g , te a c h in g a n d re s e a rc h . A n e w ro a d fro m th e n o r th w ill a llo w fo r v e h ic le a n d b ik e tra v e l to th e s ite , a n d a c c e s s fo r tra s h a n d re c y c lin g p ic k u p .

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C O M P L E X T O L A G O O N L O O K IN G W E S T F ro m t h e c o m p le x b u ild in g s (o n th e rig h t), te rra c e s s te p d o w n th e s lo p e w it h te a c h in g g a rd e n s , n u rs e r y p lo ts a n d o u td o o r c la s s ro o m s c o n n e c t in g to t h e s a v a n n a h g ra s s la n d s a n d la g o o n (to th e le ft). T h e p u b lic g re e n w it h it s c o n v e n ie n t lo c a t io n a n d v is ta to w a rd s t h e M u n i L a g o o n a n d M a n k u M o u n ta in c o u ld b e c o m e th e s ite fo r C o m m u n it y F e s tiv a l to re c o n n e c t W in n e b a a n d b rin g c o m m u n it y b a c k to it s la g o o n ro o t s .

C O M P L E X T O L A G O O N L O O K IN G S O U T H T h e c o m p le x o f b u ild in g s (o n th e rig h t) e d g e a la rg e s h a d e d g re e n la w n th a t o v e rlo o k s t h e s a v a n n a h la n d s c a p e a n d c o a s ta l b a rrie r a n d is a c c e s s e d b y t ra ils to a c la s s ro o m p a v ilio n (o n th e le ft).

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S E C T IO N O F M U N I L A G O O N C E N T E R B u ild in g s w ill ta k e a d v a n ta g e o f v ie w s o u t to th e la g o o n , a n d b e d e s ig n e d to c a p t u re a ir fl o w s a n d e m p lo y s o la r p a n e le d ro o fs . G e n e ro u s w id e p o rc h e s w ill p ro v id e s h a d e d re s p ite a n d s tu d y in g a re a s fo r s tu d e n t s .

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings P U B L IC G R E E N A N D P O R C H E S W id e c o rrid o rs a n d p o rc h e s w ill b e a m a jo r fe a tu re th a t in te rc o n n e c t s t h e t h re e b u ild in g s a n d p ro v id e a d a ily p la c e fo r m e e t in g a n d s t u d y in g .

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings RO O FTO P TERRAC E M a n k u M o u n ta in , th e c o a s ta l b a rrie r, a n d G u lf p ro v id e a p o w e r fu l v is u a l b a c k d ro p fro m a ro o fto p o p e n -a ir c la s s ro o m fro m w h ic h to re c o n n e c t to a n d o b s e r v e th e la g o o n a n d c o a s ta l la n d s c a p e a n d p ro c e s s e s .

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Overview The following are research projects carried out by a class of UVA School of Architecture students in Landscape Architecture, Architecture, and Urban and Environmental Planning in Spring 2018. Following their research in Virginia, the students traveled to Ghana to present their findings to the city and conduct fieldwork with UEW students in the Department of Geography Education.

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Mangrove Restoration | Charlotte Higginson Synopsis Loss of mangrove cover worldwide declined approximately 35% since the 1940s, and the existing mangrove cover continues to decline at a rate of 1 to 3% a year (Mensah, 2013). Ghana is a prime example of a country facing serious environmental degradation to their mangrove ecosystems. Between 1980 and 2006, over 24% of Ghanaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s mangrove cover was lost. Currently, mangroves cover ~0.2% of the forested area in Ghana (Mensah, 2013).

Mangroves are natural resources valuable to environmental and economic sustainability. It is in the interest of communities living within or near mangrove systems to conserve these habitats. Estimates for the goods and services of mangroves are valued around US $10,000 per hectare per year or about US $180 billion globally (Mensah, 2013). The national economic value for mangroves in Ghana is estimated around $600,000 per year (Mensah, 2013).

These economic estimates encompass the value mangroves have for filtering water pollutants and as essential assets to marine environments. While there have been initiatives to replant mangroves in the Muni Pomadze Lagoon, improvements can be made to improve planting strategies and better ensure survival rates of propagules.

Mangroves: The term mangrove represents trees / shrubs that can grow / survive in coastal environments with varying salinity and harsh conditions. Mangroves are broad-leaved evergreens that are known for their prop roots that act as an elaborate stilt system.

Studies indicate that there are six different mangrove species in Ghana (Anderson, 2010). The common species in the Muni Lagoon include: (1) Acrostichum aureum - thrives in high salinity (2) Avicennia germinans - considered invasive species* (3) Conarcarpus erectus - not considered a mangrove* (4) Laguncularia racemosa - thrives in high salinity (5) Rhizophora harrisoni (6) Rhizophoran racemosa - dominates the open lagoons* *Species notes, specific to Winneba by Andrews Agyekumhene (Site Manager at Ghana Wildlife Division of Forestry Commission) 163

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Precedent | Saloum Delta Region and Casamance, Senegal - mangrove reforestation initiative

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In 2006, Senegalese association Océanium began one of the largest mangrove reforestation efforts in the world. Illustrated in the aeiral images, Saloum Delta’s mangrove program has seen 79 million trees planted and 7,920 hectares of forest restored over the past decade. The goal was not only to replant mangroves but to protect arable land from salt contamination, restore rice paddies, and replenish fish stocks by up to 18,000 additional tonnes a year (Bilski, 2018).

The before and after high-resolution images show the successful mangrove restoration along the Koular Bolon estuary in the commune of Keur Saloum in Senegal (CILSS, 2016). by Senegal Case Study

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Distribution and population loss of mangroves between 1975 and 2013; Mangroves are found in 10 of the 17 countries of West Africa, from Senegal to Nigeria (CILSS, 2016)

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Senegal Case Study 20 reforestation and man

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roves but to protect arable

une of Keur Saloum in Senegal (CILSS,

eur Saloum in Senegal (CILSS,

Though this result may have been influenced by the inability of the 30 meter‐resolution Land Cover Comparison 1986 to 2012 (Mensah, 2013)

Figure 9: A comparison of the areal extent, by classes, (in hectares) of the past and current land cover

data sets are shown in Figure 1 Though this result may have been influenced by the inability of the 30 meter‐resolution 12

Land Cover Comparison 2012 (Mensah, 2013) the Landsat 1986 TM to image to identify

fringing mangroves (and other vegetation), it actually

Landsat TM image to identify the fringing 12 mangroves (and other vegetation), it actually

Reuniting City and Landscape

confirms the perception of the changes in the mangrove coverage by the local folks. According

confirms the perception of the changes in the mangrove coverage by the local folks. According

to the participatory mapping exercise and other informal discussions with local informants, the to the participatory mapping exercise and other informal discussions with local informants, the local folks believe that mangroves have actually grown extensively along the rivers and streams,

local folks believe that mangroves have actually grown extensively along the rivers and streams,

making accessibility difficult in most places. They believe that the Rhizophora species may

making accessibility difficult in most places. They believe that the Rhizophora species may eventually close up the water channels. eventually close up the water channels.

Areas potentially at risk

The study identified a number of benefits that the mangrove environment as well as the Areas potentially at risk mangrove products themselves offers the surrounding communities. Chiefly among these

socioeconomic benefits are the cutting of the mangroves for fuel; building materials for houses; The study identified a number of benefits that the mangrove environment as well as the fishing of black tilapia and other fish species; and catching of crabs and other crustaceans and

mangrove products themselves offers the surrounding communities. Chiefly among these

molluscs. Mangroves are the main source of fuel for the local people. In the rainy season (May‐

August), they socioeconomic benefits are the cutting of the mangroves for fuel; building materials for houses; are often harvested in the interior side of the swamps where mangroves are often stunted. During the dry season however, the roots and branches of the mangroves along fishing of black tilapia and other fish species; and catching of crabs and other crustaceans and the rivers and streams are also cut because accessibility is enhanced. It was also gathered

molluscs. Mangroves are the main source of fuel for the local people. In the rainy season (May‐

Senegal Case Study 2004 - mangrove cover before August), they are often 22 harvested in the interior side of the swamps where mangroves are reforestation efforts (CILSS, 2016)

often stunted. During the dry season however, the roots and branches of the mangroves along the rivers and streams are also cut because accessibility is enhanced. It was also gathered

Senegal Case Study 2004 - mangrove cover before reforestation efforts (CILSS, 2016)

22

a

a, from Senegal to

enegal to

Senegal Case Study 2014 - mangrove cover after reforestation and management initiative (CILSS, 2016)

Map of reforested areas in Senegal (Cormier-Salem, 2017)

Senegal Case Study 2014 - mangrove cover after reforestation and management initiative (CILSS, 2016)

Map of reforested areas in Senegal (Cormier-Salem, 2017)

166

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Muni Pomadze Lagoon | Reforestation Site Selection Find point-source locations of pollution(i.e. agricultural runoff and urban/ industrual runoff ): The yellow arrows below illustrate contamination points from pollutants into the lagoon. Planting mangrove at these intersections can help filter pollutants and reduce further into the lagoonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ecosystem. There are two planting strategies shown depending on wave energy and wedge conditions: (1)pattern reforestation and (2) clump reforestation

Interventions The objective of this intervention is to locate specific areas for mangrove reforestation, tactically implement replanting strategies, and monitor initiatives over time to assess survival rates and improve methods for planting interventions. In addition to strategic mangrove reforestation, educating the community and promoting alternative fuel and economic sources are critical to the success of the intervention. Alternative fuel sources include: coconut husks, solar stoves, and finding new ways to dry fish for the market. Educating the public on ecological benefits, alongside promoting these more sustainable fuel sources will help protect mangrove reforestation efforts.

167

Reuniting City and Landscape

1. Pattern Reforestation

Planting Strategy: 4. Once prime conditions are established, continue with planting strategy a. Which species is best for the site selected? b. When is the best time to plant? c. What density and pattern should propagules be planted?

2. Clump Reforestation

Management: 5. Observe, manage, and record sites and propagule establishment 6. Amend and adapt strategies and steps based on mangrove establishment/survival rates 7. Promote alternative fuel sources in the community 8. Educate the public on the ecological and economic benefits of mangrove habitats Source: (Primavera, 2012)

Site Selection Criteria: Condition Assessment / Intervention: 1. Based on previous efforts, the newest reforestation site should be 3. Depending on site conditions follow physical intervention located on the SW area of the Muni Lagoon - along the barrier and solutions to create successful growing conditions spreading on the western side of the Lagoon 4. Conduct research on soil salinity and water level changes.

2. Determine if site conditions have an (a) excess amount of sediment or (b) insufficient amount of sediment 168

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Urban Section Campus Section Lagoon Section Beach Section Manku Mountain Section

°

0

0.25 0.5

1

1.5

Red Mangrove Rhizophora harrisonii native

Kilometers 2

Chamaecrista absus Campus Section Eucalyptus camaldulensis Ficus craterostoma

Acacia Tree Eucalyptus African Strangler Fig Tree Teak Tree Senegal Prickly-Ash

Sectional Tectona profiles grandis of typical plant communities Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides were studied along a transect that ran from the Old agoon Section Market, through UEW’s South Campus, the site of Andropogon gayanus Cenchrus purpureus the Kwame Nkrumah Institute, and into Heterpogon contortus Ideological Grass Varieties Section sp. the MuniJuncus Lagoon.

The vegetation and geo-locations Sporobolus indicus were documented by a team of students from the Sporobolus jacquemontii University of Education at Winneba and the University of Virginia. An additional transect of Manku Mountain supplemented this study of typical plant communities within the Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site.

This exercise produced an inventory of urban, campus, lagoon, beach, secondary forest and mountain plants , which can inform conservation better connecting the Muni Lagoon with Winneba. This information can aid planting strategies within each of those zones.

Educational signs along the trail can educate the community and visitors on the different plant and BEACH PLANT COMMUNITY animal species they can expectCoconut to find Native Cocos nucifera Tree along the trail Native Raphia Palm Raphia Palm Tree and beyond.

Increased familiarity with local plant and animal species may encourage ownership towards the landscape and serve to foster conservation efforts. occipitalis Hyperolius concolor Hyperolius nasutus LAGOON PLANT COMMUNITY

Nonnative Avicennia germinans Native Azadirachta indica Native Chamaecrista absus regularis girostris Native Sclerophrys Cocos nucifera Native Laguncularia racemosa Native Raphia Palm Native Rhizophora racemosa

169

Black Mangrove Neem Tree Acacia Tree Coconut Tree White Mangrove Raphia Palm Tree Red Mangrove

Afrixalus dorsalis

Raphia Palm Tree Raphia palma-pinus native

Neem Trees Azadirachta indica nonnative

VEGETATION SAMPLINGS ACROSS THE LAGOON Urban Section MANKU MOUNTAIN PLANT COMMUNITY KEY ANIMAL SPECIES Azadirachta indica Neem Tree Sara Wisseman |Nonnative Tim Winchester,Hangyu Shi, AMPHIBIANS Native Ceiba pentandra Kapok Tree Native Native Native Native Native

Red Mangrove Rhizophora racemosa native

10

0’ -

Hoplobatrachus occipitalis

Hyperolius concolor

0”

Hyperolius nasutus

MANGROVE A 0

Phrynomantis microps Ptychadena longirostris

10

Sclerophrys regularis

PLANTING STR

BUTTERFLIES

Amauris niavius

Belenois calypso

Euphaedra medon

Graphium adamastor

Leptosia wigginsi

Nepheronia argia

Papilio menestheus

Papilio nireus

3M, TYP.

FISH

Sarotherodon melanotheron LAND BIRDS

10

0’ -

0’ 10

0”

Apus affinis

Bubulcus ibis

Centropus senegalensis

0”

Chrysococcyx klaas

SINGL Cinnyris coccinigastrus

Corvus albus

MANGROVE AXON 0

10

Dendropicos goertae Halcyon senegalensis

Crinifer piscator

Crithagra mozambica

50

25

Hirundo smithii

PLANTING STRATEGY DIAGRAMS

Lagonosticta rufopicta

3M, TYP.

00’

W

E

BEACH SECTION 0’

10’ 20’

50’

100’

Vertical axis magnified 2x scale of drawing

Kapok Tree Ceiba pentandra native

Eucalyptus Eucalyptus camaldulensis native Red Mangrove African Strangler Fig Rhizophora racemosa Ficus craterostoma native native

Teak Tree Eucalyptus Senegal Prickly-Ash Tectona grandis Eucalyptus camaldulensis Zanthoxylum zanthoxyloides native native native Neem Trees (some burned) Neem Trees Red Mangrove 0’ 10’ 20’ 50’ Azadirachta indica Azadirachta indica Rhizophora racemosa 2x scale of drawing nonnative nonnative Vertical axis magnified native Raphia Palm Tree Raphia palma-pinus native

BEACH SECTION

Neem Tree Azadirachta indica nonnative 100’

Red Mangrove Rhizophora racemosa native

SW

Acacia Tree Acacia albida native

Grasses: Andropogon gayanus Cenchrus purpureus Heterpogon contortus Juncus sp.

Sporobolus indicus Sporobolus jacquemontii

°

LAGOON SECTION 0’

10’ 20’

0

0.25

Neem Trees (some burned) Azadirachta indica

E nonnative

Raphia PalmNonnative Tree Raphia palma-pinus Native native

Native Native Native Native Native

NE

SW

50’

100’

Vertical axis magnified 2x scale of drawing

LAGOON SECTION Neem Tree Raphia Palm Tree Cassia Tree Acacia Tree Azadirachta indica Raphia palma-pinus Senna siamea Chamaecrista absus nonnative native native native Mango Tree Mangifera indica nonnative

W

Indian Almond Tree Terminalia catappa nonnative

W

0’

10’ 20’

50’

100’

Vertical axis magnified 2x scale of drawing

E

Coconut Tree Cocos nucifera native

Neem Tree Raphia Palm Tree Cassia Tree Acacia Tree Azadirachta indica Raphia palma-pinus Senna siamea Chamaecrista absus nonnative native native native Mango Tree Mangifera indica nonnative

Raphia Palm Tree Raphia palma-pinus native

Indian Almond Tree Terminalia catappa nonnative

E

CAMPUS SECTION FOREST SECTION 0’ 10’ 20’ 50’

E

100’

W

E

Vertical axis magnified 2x scale of drawing 0’

10’ 20’

50’

Native Native

100’

Vertical axis magnified 2x scale of drawing

African Strangler Fig Tree Ficus craterostoma native

100’

Coconut Tree Cocos nucifera native Neem Tree Azadirachta indica nonnative

angrove hora racemosa

00’

Reuniting City and Landscape

W

Neem Trees (some burned) Azadirachta indica nonnative Raphia Palm Tree

Raphia Palm Tree Raphia palma-pinus native

Neem Trees Azadirachta indica nonnative

Ashoka Tree Polyalthia longifolia nonnative

Raphia Palm Tree Coconut Tree CAMPUS SECTION Palm TreeCocos nucifera Raphia Raphia palma-pinus

Uknown Sacred Tree TBD Coconut Tree tbd Cocos nucifera native 0’ 10’

native Raphia palma-pinus native native50’ 20’ 100’

Red Mangrove Apple Tree Rhizophora racemosa TBD native tbd

African Strangler Fig Tree Ficus craterostoma native

W

E

Coconut Tree Cocos nucifera native Neem Tree Azadirachta indica nonnative

Raphia Palm Tree Raphia palma-pinus native

Nonnative Native Native Native Ashoka Tree Native U Polyalthia longifolia T Native t nonnative Native Queen of the Night Cestrum nocturnum nonnative Apple Tree E TBD tbd

W

BEACH SECTION 10’ 20’

Mango Tree Mangifera indica nonnative

Vertical axis magnified 2x scale of drawing

Queen of the Night Cestrum nocturnum nonnative

Raphia palma-pinus native

0’

Neem Tree Azadirachta indica nonnative

NE

50’

100’

Vertical axis magnified 2x scale of drawing

URBAN SECTION 0’

10’ 20’

50’

Red Mangrove 100’ Rhizophora racemosa native

Vertical axis magnified 2x scale of drawing

Neem Trees (some burned) Azadirachta indica nonnative Raphia Palm Tree

Neem Trees Windica Azadirachta nonnative

Red Mangrove Rhizophora racemosa native

170

Backgound REGIONAL REGIONAL VISIONS: VISIONS: ECONOMY ECONOMY // CONSERVATION CONSERVATION // INFR INFR BIRD HABITAT RESTORATION of herons and egrets (ardeids), and one species each of duck and cormorant

(Grimes, 1987; Ntiamoa-Baidu el al.,is2000a).

The Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site (MPRS) an important wintering and staging area for migratory and resident waterbirds with total population estimated at 20,000 (Ntiamoa-Baidu 2( al., 2001). The site has been classified as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Globally Important Threat Bird Area" (Ntiamoa-Baidu el al., 2000a). A total of 48 species of waterbirds (out of 88 species found on the Ghanaian coast) have been recorded on the site, compris1.Unsustainable resource exploitation including fishing, hunting, and fuel wood This project aims at combining the restoration of water bird habitats ecoing through 29 species of waders, eight species of terns, two species of gulls, seven species harvesting, overgrazing by cattle, farming practices. logical strategies and the creation of potential ecotourism activities together toegrets (ardeids), of herons and and and one improper species each of duck and cormorant 2. Sanitation and waste disposal facilities of surrounding local communities are relrealize ecological, social and commercial entrepreneurship. Urban expansion (Grimes, 1987; in Ntiamoa-Baidu el al., 2000a).

Ghana encroaches a large area of Muni-lagoon, and the increasingly harsh environatively poor, resulting in high levels of pollutants in the lagoon. mental issues, including water pollution, overfishing and so forth accelerate the Threat deterioration of water bird habitats.

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings UCATION Synopsis

DUCATION

Opportunity

1.Unsustainable After studying several precedents and reading lots of papers about the Muni-la- resource exploitation including fishing, hunting, and fuel wood harvesting, overgrazing by cattle, and improper farming practices. goon bird habitats, I come up with some interventions to recover the bird The usehabitats of the site bydisposal waterbirds was to have increased by 400% 2.

Sanitation and facilities of found surrounding local communities are rel-between as well as inviting people (local communities and tourists) to participate in1998 the waste 1986 and (Ntiamoa-Baidu al., 2000a).

This increase was attributed to an poor, resulting in high levels ofelpollutants in the lagoon. bird-based activities to promote the economic prosperity. In theatively short term, the

increase in prey availability induced by inflow of sea water to the lagoon in 1994,

installation of structures, including kayaking routes, bird watching towers and bird and possible degradation of other coastal wetlands making the Muni lagoon more Opportunity blinds, is part of the larger scale of conservation project, such as reforest, mangrove suitable for birds restoration, potential research area and so forth; in the long term, the restoration of although there was no data to suggest same or otherwise in the other coastal wetlands breeding islands for birds to roost and forage could attract moreThe migratory birds use of the site by waterbirds was found to have increased by 400% between back to the site.

1986 and 1998 (Ntiamoa-Baidu el al., 2000a). This increase was attributed to an

Context Backgound

Legend

increase in prey availability induced by inflow of sea water to the lagoon in 1994, and possible degradation of other coastal wetlands making the Muni lagoon more Legend suitable for birds although there was no data to suggest same or otherwise in the other coastal wetlands

Existing Bird watching tower

Proposed Bird watching tower Legend Legend

The Muni-Pomadze Ramsar Site (MPRS) is an important wintering and staging Kayak area

station

for migratory and resident waterbirds with total population estimated at 20,000 Existing Bird watching tower Bird Habitat | Qinmeng (Ntiamoa-Baidu 2( al., 2001). TheRestoration site has been classified as a â&#x20AC;&#x153;Globally Important Bird blindYu Proposed Bird watching tower Bird Area" (Ntiamoa-Baidu el al., 2000a). A total of 48 species of waterbirds (out of 88 species found on the Ghanaian coast) have been recorded on the site, compris-

Added Foodpath Kayak station Synopsis ing 29 species of waders, eight species of terns, two species of gulls, seven species of herons and egrets (ardeids), and one species each of duck and cormorant Paved Bird blind (Grimes, 1987; Ntiamoa-Baidu el al., 2000a).

This project aims at combining the restoration of water bird habitats through ecological strategies and the creation of poAdded Foodpath Unpaved Threat ecotourism activities to realize ecological, social and commercial entrepreneurship. Urban expansion is increasing tential Paved Track 1.Unsustainable resource exploitation including hunting, edge and fuel wood and encroaching onto thefishing, eastern of Muni Lagoon, bringing with it water pollution, overfishing and trash which are Unpaved harvesting, overgrazing by cattle, and improper farming practices.

Footpath accelerating the deterioration ofcommunities waterarebird 2. Sanitation and waste disposal facilities of surrounding local rel- habitats.

Track atively poor, resulting in high levels of pollutants in the lagoon.

Kayak route, dredging area This proposal offers interventions to recover Footpaththe bird habitats as well as invite people (local communities and tourists) to Opportunity 2mthe floodshort zone term, the installation of kayaking routes, bird watching towers, walkparticipate in the bird-based activities. Kayak In route, dredging area ing paths, and bird blinds, will encourage public and school age children to visit and walk the lagoon, and supplement The use of the site by waterbirds was found to have increased by 400% between Buildings 1986 and 1998 (Ntiamoa-Baidu el al., 2000a). This increase was attributed 2m to anflood zone longer term goals for forest and mangrove restoration, a potential research center, and the restoration of breeding islands increase in prey availability induced by inflow of sea water to the lagoon in 1994, Forest Buildings and possible degradation of other coastal Muni lagoonon more Muni. for migratory birds to wetlands roostmaking andtheforage suitable for birds although there was no data to suggest same or otherwise in the Savanna Forest other coastal wetlands

Legend Legend Legend Existing Bird watching towertower Existing bird watching Proposed Birdbird watching tower tower Proposed watching

Savanna Mangrove Mangrove

Potential reseach center

Potential reseach centercenter Potential research

Zone A: Mudflat I

Kayak station Kayak station

Zone A: Mudflat I Zone A: Mudflat I

Bird blind Bird blind

Zone B: B: Inland water Zone Inland water

Added Foodpath Added Footpath

Zone C: C: Lagoon Mid-section Zone Lagoon Mid-section

Paved Paved Unpaved Unpaved

Track Track Footpath Footpath

Kayak route, dredging Kayak route, dredging area area 2m flood zone 2m flood zone Buildings Buildings Forest Forest

Zone B: Inland water

Zone C: Lagoon Mid-section

potential research center

Zone D: Mudflat II

Zone D: D: Mudflat II II Zone Mudflat

Zone Seaward Zone E: Seaward Site Zone E:E: Seaward SiteSite

Zone SP: Salt ponds Zone SP: Salt ponds Zone SP: Salt ponds Zone E, E, SPSP areare ideal habitats for migratory bird. However, with thewith dete-the deteZoneA,A,B,B,C,C,D,D, ideal habitats for migratory bird. However, riorating around the the lagoon, thesethese habitats are gradually disappearrioratingenvironment environment around lagoon, habitats are gradually disappearing. ing.

Bird blind

Caption, reference

Caption, reference

Proposed bird watc

Savanna Savanna Existing bird watching tower

Mangrove Mangrove Potential reseach center Zone A: Mudflat I

171

Ideal bird habitats Restore islands for bird habitat

Zone B: Inland water Zone C: Lagoon Mid-section

Kayaking route, dredging area

Reuniting City and Landscape

potential research center

Bird blind

Proposed bird watching tower

potential research center Existing bird watching tower

Ideal bird habitats Restore islands for bird habitat

Kayaking route, dredging area

172

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Precedent - Pomorie Lake Pomorie Lake is very similar to Muni Lagoon because it is one of the most important bird habitats in Bulgaria and also a Ramsar site. The Pomorie Lake is a hyper saline lagoon along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The wetland offers a rare combination of living conditions that support the development of a unique complex of halophyte vegetation. Many of the plants are threatened and subject to protection under different conservation documents as well as the Bulgarian Red Data Book. The most diverse group are birds - 268 species (breeding, wintering,

BIRD HABITAT RESTORATION Precedents Pomorie Lake is very similar to Muni lagoon becuase it is one of the most important bird habitats in Bulgaria and also a Ramsar site.

Conservation

The Pomorie Lake is a hyper saline lagoon along the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. The The Management Plan (MP) of Pomorie Lake calls for creation wetland offers a rare combination of living conditions that support the developof new breeding islands for water birds, remove all of trash, ment of a unique complex of halophyte vegetation. Many of the plants are threatremoveunder of muddy materials from the internalaschannels, ened and subject to protection different conservation documents well as repair and maintenance of draining pumps and dam gates. the Bulgarian Red Data Book.

The most diverse group are birds - 268 species (breeding, wintering, migrating), many of which rare and globally threatened, such as White-headed Duck, Red-breasted Goose, Dalmatian Pelican, Ferruginous Duck, Whooper Swan, Terns, etc. The lagoon is situated on the second biggest migration route - Via Pontica, and annually thousands of Storks, Pelicans, Geese, and Raptors migrate above the lake T2014_Beach_Profile_1 Education on their wayExisting to Africa. Although small (714 ha), in terms of bird diversity the lake Bird watching tower The Management Plan (MP) of Pomorie Lake holds a series of Bird watching tower ranks third among the Bulgarian coastal wetlands.

Legend Legend

Proposedprograms Bird watching tower education and public awareness, for environmental

Kayak station The restoration project mainly aims toasupport for the sustainable management ofcomplex developing monitoring program for managing the station the PomorieKayak Lake and the wetland ecosystem through conservation and restoof protected natural areas.

Addeddiversity Foodpath ration of biological and sustainable natural resource use.

Bird blind Paved Project activities Added Foodpath

1. Establishing a Management Framework; Unpaved 2. Developing a Management Plan (MP) of Pomorie Lake complex of protected natPaved ural areas; Track 3. Implementing the Management Unpaved EconomyPlan; 3.1. Supporting the management of“The Pomorie Lake Ecofestival Magic ofProtected Pomorie Site; Lake” Footpath 3.1.1 Establishing administration and a Visitor’s Center forare protection of Pomorie Track Waterbirds and terrestrial birds also the focus of an ever-exLake; panding bird watchers’ community all over the world, hence Kayak path Footpath 3.1.2 Establishing small tourist infrastructure within the protected site; contributing to a country’s economy in general and that of the 3.2. Restoring and managing natural resources; 2m flood zonedredging Kayak route, area local communities in particular ecotourism.

3.3. Implementing a program for environmental educationthrough and public awareness; 3.4. Developing a monitoring program for managing the complex of protected Buildings 2m flood zone natural areas; 4. ManagingForest the project and securing national and international cooperation.

Buildings

Source: Savanna Forest https://greenbalkans.org/pomorielake/gef/gallery6_en.htm

Infrastructure MangroveThe project envisages the construction of a Visitor’s Center Savanna

which will host the Unit for Wetland Biodiversity Conservation Interventions Mangrove Zone A and Restoration. This Unit will be in charge of the monitoring

and surveys related to the wetland, as well as the conserva-

Zone B tion, reseach centerguarding and education activities.

EconomyPotential restoration, 173

Waterbirds and terrestrial birds are also the focus of an ever-expanding bird watchers’ community all over the world,I hence contributing to a country's economy in C Mudflat Zone A: general and that of the local communities in particular through ecotourism.

-Hold “bird festivals” Zone Dduring winter time to attract bird lovers.

Zone B: Inland water

Reuniting City and Landscape migrating), many of which are rare and globally threatened, such as White-headed Duck, Red-breasted Goose, Dalmatian Pelican, Ferruginous Duck, Whooper Swan, Terns, etc. The lagoon is situated on the second biggest migration route - Via Pontica, along which annually thousands of storks, pelicans, geese, and raptors migrate above the lake on their way to Africa. Although small (714 ha), in terms of bird diversity the lake ranks third among the Bulgarian coastal wetlands. The restoration project aims to support for the sustainable management of the Pomorie Lake and the wetland ecosystem through conservation and restoration of biological diversity and sustainable natural resource use. Source: https://greenbalkans.org/pomorielake/gef/gallery6_en.htm

C

D C R c

E

I D

E

E

W m t

I

T P R w t

174

Egretta gularis

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES OF BIRD TOUR

Different Birding Activities

Mudflat

Seaward

Mangrove Kayak

Photograph

Proposed Interventions at Muni Lagoon Economy Waterbirds and terrestrial birds are also the focus of an ever-expanding bird watchers’ community all over the world, hence contributing to a country’s economy in general and that of the local communities in particular through ecotourism.

--Hold “bird festivals” during winter time to attract bird lovers.

--Invest in hotels around the main sites.

--Provide tourists with a range of experiences, including mangrove kayaking, nature photography, etc.

Infrastructure Site a network of bird watching/observation towers around their habitat.

Construct a public education center for lecture, services, bird monitoring and research.

Conservation Waterbirds represent an important tool in biodiversity conservation, due to their conspicuousness, abundance, high species turnover, and sensitiveness to changes occurring in their habitat. They are useful in determining the quality of the wetland in which they live.

--Clean up the rubbish around the lagoon, especially around the mudflat (which is used as waste dump).

--Recover mangroves or other native shrubs to provide food and roosting areas for waterbirds along the Floodplain.

--Create new breeding islets and recover deteriorated original islands for water birds.

Education Continuous community-based education elevates the public awareness on the importance of waterbirds and habitat needs. Educate local residents how to watch waterbirds and train them to become guides for ecotourism.

175

Reuniting City and Landscape

BIRD SPECIES BIRD SPECIES

JAN

FEB

MARCH

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula

Waders

Black-winged godwit Limosa limosa

Sanderling Calidris alba

Black-winged stilt Himantopus himantopus

Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus

Terns

Common Tern Sterna hirundo

Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii

Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis Other waterbirds

Little Egrets Egretta garzetta

Reef Herons Egretta gularis

DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES OF BIRD TOUR 176

main design concept is to link the city area with the nature by carefully organize functions and tourist routes within the region. By adapting low impact design, the nature is made use of to a certain degree while is protected in turn. Another idea is to get local people involved in the developing process. Varied job opportunities are provided, and small businesses are supported by fundings, so that the local people can play important role in the tourism industry, benefit from the proposed plans and what's more, be resposible for their own land and ecosystem. For this matter, local and international fundings and support need to be introduced. Further, the educational function is stressed as well as the economic function. More strategies need to be applied to further educate the local people and the coming tourists, and increase the awareness of the public and the next generation to reach a sustainable development.

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Recreational Eco-Tourism | Mengyuan Duan

Synopsis POTENTIAL RECREATIONAL ECOTOURISM IN WINNEBA

Winneba has an advantaged location as an important destination between the capital city Accra and other tourist spots Synopsis along the south coastline of Ghana. The Muni Lagoon is regarded as an important site not only for its ecological value In the end, adapting the strategy step by step based on different phases of and development and improving the propeganda, we envison an Winneba has advantaged location as one important linking point betweenconstruction the city identity and well-developed business model of ecotourism. We capital city Accra and other tourist spots along the south coastline of Ghana.established The hope that one day Winneba can be one attractive ecotourism destination for people muni-lagoon is regarded as one important site for not only its ecological value in Ghana and even across the world. but also its great potential of becoming a ecotourism spot and in turn create

and its rich cultural heritage and festivals, which together create numerous business opportunities to improve the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s development.

Currently, the Muni Lagoon area is insufficiently protected. Site Management under the Forestry Commission is understaffed and lacking in authority and funding to enforce regulation. The abundant natural resources including the Lagoon, Manku Mountain, and the coastline scenery are severely threatened by human activities and impending climate Hillshade induced changes.

numberous business oppoutunities to improve the city's development.

For now, the muni-lagoon area is poorly protected and the ecotourism togetherLegend with cultural tourism is under development and not yet mature industry. The abundant natural resources including the ramsar, the manku mountain, and theCondition coastline scenery are parelling with severe destruction process by the human Topography activities and are facing towards problems including climate changes and urbanism.

In addition, the related facilities and infrustructures are still under construction and the management agents are under pressure of limited regulations and fundings.

Hydro

Value

High : 254 This projects examines how ecotourism can be a catalyst to reverse the environmental degradation and further create Low : 22 more possibilities for the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environmental and economic development. The main design concept is to create hiking Thus, is of vital importance to think about ecotourism as a stimulation make andit recreational boating opportunities in thetolagoon and link physically theRoads city with the lagoon through carefully orchanges happen and further create more possibilities for the city development. The Paved Watershed ganized low impact designed walking routes and stops which can be mapped and signed. Activities can be supported main design concept is to link the city area with the nature by carefully organize functions and tourist routes within the region.

By adapting low impact design, the by start up small businesses supported through micro-lending, so that the local people Unpaved can play important role in the nature is made use of to a certain degree while is protected in turn. Another idea is Waterbodies tourism industry, from theVaried proposed plans responsible for their own land and to get local people involved inbenefit the developing process. job opportunities are and more importantly, be made Track provided, and small businesses are supported by fundings, so that the local people ecosystem.

International and local fundings sources need to be pursued for large scale ecological restoration and crecan play important role in the tourism industry, benefit from the proposed plans 2m flood zone Footpath ation small-scale business opportunities.

More and what'sof more, be resposible for their own land and ecosystem. For this matter,strategies need to be applied to further educate the local residents local and international fundings and support need to be introduced. Further, the Landcover and visitors, and increase awareness of the public and theFloodPlain next generation to reach a sustainable future. educational function is stressed as well as the economic function. More strategies

need to be applied to further educate the local people and the coming tourists, and increase the awareness of the public and the next generation to reach a sustainable development.

Forest In the end, adopting a step-by-step strategy based on different phases of construction and development and improved Grassland conservation, supported by a publicity on news and social media, we envision WinnebaBuildings as a model for environmental In the end, adapting thebusiness strategy stepmodel by step based on different phases well-developed of ecotourism.

Weof hope that one day Winneba can be one attractive ecotourism destiGrassland construction and development and improving the propeganda, we envison an nation for people in Ghana and even across the world. established city identity and well-developed business model of ecotourism. We

hope that one day Winneba can be one attractive ecotourism destination for people in Ghana and even across the world.

Legend Legend

C o n d it io n Condition

Topography Topography

Watershed Watershed Waterbodies Waterbodies 2m flood zone 2m Flood Zone FloodPlain Flood Plain Buildings Buildings

Protect Area

Hillshade

Canoeing/ boating

Control Area

Value

Hiking Hiking

Value

High : 254 High:254

Low:22 Low : 22

RRoads oads

177 Forest

Mangroves/ Hydrotypes Mangroves|Hydrotypes

Forest Forest

Wild Bird Habitat Wild Bird Habitat

Extenet of forest Paved

Paved

Unpaved Unpaved

Track Track Footpath Footpath

LLandcover an d co ver Forest Forest

Extend of Forest

Traditional hunting ground Ground Traditional Hunting

Activities Activities

Visitor Center/Museum

Protected forestForest Protected

Ecological resort Resort Ecological

Hiking Area

Grassland Grassland

Lagoon Conservation Lagoon Conservation

Canoeing Canoeing

Hotels Hotels

Sight-seeing spot Spot Sight-seeing

Canoeing|Boating Canoeing/ boating

Control Area Area Control

Birds Viewing Birds Viewing

Wild Bird Habitat

Hiking route

Eco-tourist Eco-tourist spot Spot

Biking Biking

Mangroves/ Hydrotypes

Visitor Center|Museum

Boating|Fishing Boating/fishing

Protect Area

Protect Area

Facilities Facilities

Hiking area

Biking Biking

Hiking

Lagoon Conservation

Biking

Grassland Grassland

EEcotourism c o t o u r is m proposal P ro p o sa l Designed Tourist Designed tourist routeRoute

Ecotourism proposal

Designed tourist route

H ills h a d e

Hydro Hydro

Hiking route

Manku Mountain Are

Reuniting City and Landscape

178

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Interventions 1. Protect the lagoon area and increase the biodiversity: Restore the mangrove species near the lagoon area. Reforest around the existing forest patches and allow for natural succession.

2. Link the city, lagoon, and the mountain: Design several routes: hiking routes across and around the lagoon, the water taxi route on the sea, and the biking route along the coastline, to link the city, lagoon and the mountain.

3. Develop a safe and well designed hiking trail up to peak of Manku Mountain. Protect the scenic aspects of the mountain and minimize visual intrusiveness of the trails and any clearing at the peak station.

179

Reuniting City and Landscape

4. Create water-related experiences such as guide-interpreted canoeing and kayaking tours of the lagoon, providing passenger transportation by boats on the sea to connect Winneba and Mankwadze, and offering the public an up-close conversation and experience with local fisherman about local fishing.

5. Adapt low-impact design strategies: Apply local materials and make use of the existing infrastructures and facilities.

6. Foster potential business opportunities: Local guides, shops, entrepreneurs, facility renting, catering and leisure.

7. Profile new businesses and local people on local radio stations in Winneba and in the news.

180

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

STIVAL Reassessing the Traditional Effutu Hunting Ground for the Aboakyer Festival | Xinhui Chen MANKU MOUNTAIN HUNTING GROUND LAGOON

PRESENTING THE BUSHBUCK TO THE CHIEF

SHRINE SACRIFICE OF THE BUSHBUCK

BATHING PRAYING

STAGE

LED SCREEN LIVE SHOW OF HUNTING GAME

Legend

SEA

Synopsis Aboakyer Festival = culture + landscape Winneba has its unique culture and geographic characteristics. Focusing on the Aboakyer Festival (Deer Hunting Festival), my design aims to emphasize an attachment between the land, the people and local identity in the pre- and post-colonial era.

My exploration is how to amplify the Aboakyer Festival through additional activities, public space, transportation accessibility, and visual connection. My proposal Azadirachta indica Baphia nitida Cocos nucifera expands the Effutu traditional hunting ground and suggests the future potential of an alternate festival site on the sea, so the modernized festival will continue to develop, expand, and attract tourists from all around the world.

181

Colocasia antiquciorium

Desmodium sp.

Euphorbia Corollata

Eurena lobata

Emilia semchifolia

Borreria sp.

E TRADITIONAL EFFUTU HUNTING GROUNDS FOR ABOAKYER FESTIVAL

Reuniting City and Landscape

raphic characteristics.

Hunting Festival), my between the land, nial era.

boakyer festival e, transportation essing the Effuttu tial of future coastal ttract tourists from all

ettlement: Effutu Mountain to the t it was too brakish. d the Ayensu River in this process, ratitute to the deity, crossing bridge for wildlife

e city, and the Ayensu River

main street traditional hunting ground

festivall site

market

public cemetary shrine old market Penche

Muni lagoon

potential festival site Manku Mountain

182

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Cultural Background

Legend

THE DAY BEFORE FESTIVAL 1. A brass band marches through the streets announcing the festivities beginning.

2. The men participants of the Tuafo and Densifo companies purify themselves by bathing at the beach.

FESTIVAL DATE: FIRST SATURDAY IN MAY 3. Both groups march to Penkye Otuâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s shrine to have roots and herbs sprinkled on them to ensure their safe return from the hunt.

4. The two companies set off to the bush to capture a live deer.

5.The hunters sing war songs while pounding 183

percussion instruments to frighten the deer from their hiding places.

6. The winning company carries the deer shoulderhigh.

7. The deer is presented to the Chief who steps on its body three times to prove it is alive.

8. The high priest receives the deer and sacrifices it.

Reuniting City and Landscape

Current Festival Map Every year on first Saturday in May, Aboakyer Festival occurs and renews the city, bonds residents with the lagoon, which is the home of their local god Penche Otu.

184

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings Interventions 1. Restore bushbuck forest habitat to provide cover and food.

2. Explore the development of new festival activities along the beach front.

3. Devise and make self-interpretive walking maps of city, sacred sites, and significant buildings.

4. Reconnect the divided Ramsar site across transnational highway for deer to be able to cross from north to south.

Precedents Wildlife crossings are structures that allow animals to cross human-made barriers safely and can help protect and expand bushbuck habitat.

Wavescape Surf & Ocean Festival in Capetown South Africa last year developed a festival focus on ocean-conscious themes. With the festival’s setting on the beach front, it capitalized on its local and specific landscape setting and drew “creative and scientific minds to use the ocean as their muse to advocate change.”

Barcelona’s La Merce Festival honors the Patron Saint of Barcelona at the end of each summer with all kinds of cultural activities around the city’s streets and public spaces and guides people to explore more about Barcelona.

185

Highway A50, Netherlands: crossing bridge for wildlife.

Capetown Wavescape Festival: cultural festival with a natural background.

Barcelona La Merce Festival: preserving local tradition, history, and identity.

Aboakyer Festival = culture + landscape

Azadirachta indica

bushbuck and habitat

Colocasia antiquciorium

Reuniting City and Landscape

Baphia nitida

Desmodium sp.

Euphorbia Corollata

Cocos nucifera

Eurena lobata

Emilia semchifolia

Borreria sp.

current deer habitat

186

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Salt Pond Reuse in Winneba | Yu Cheng Synopsis As Winneba is located at one of the major salt deposits along the coastal area in Ghana, salt production used to be one of the key industries in Winneba, but how has been abandoned. The research looks at how the salt ponds can be re-purposed in combination with the cityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s infrastructure system in order to deal with the waste water from the city and improve water quality in the lagoon. The strategy outlined here aims to treat the waste water flow from its source on city streets, along its flow path in the streetâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s concrete gutters, to its collection point on the lagoon: --Trash Management: economic + infrastructure benefits As a first step to reducing the flow of trash into the lagoon and seas, trash collection stations would be arranged around the core urban area according to the population density. Programs for proper trash pick-up, transport, disposal and sorting at the landfill must be well considered and managed.

--Wastewater Treatment: infrastructure + education purposes Examine the former salt ponds for their potential to treat the waste water from the streets and remove the pollution, trash, sediments, contaminants through holding basins and planted constructed wetlands in the old salt ponds.

Re-engineer and reshape salt ponds according to the waste water quantity and treatment needs. Consider interpreting history of salt ponds for their tourism/education value and as potential sites for a new research center.

--Re-vegetation of Lagoon: conservation+ education Restore mangroves and other plants in the dynamic land and water zone between city and lagoon, in order to restore and support a dynamic ecological system around the lagoon. Consider the potential for this zone as a public garden which can also serve as a demonstration garden for students, residents, and visiting public.

--Productive Landscape: economic benefits Can the salt ponds be transformed into other new purposes providing job opportunities for residents in Winneba?

In terms of the productive purpose, the rice fields can be developed in salt ponds to provide food and be integrated into the salt pond landscape. Raising tilapia and snails in salt ponds could provide seasonal economic supplement for the fishing community.

187

EM FUTURE: SALT POND REUSE

Reuniting City and Landscape

Oil Find, Aug. 10, 2011, Research Journal

a Salt Project (WSP) expected to prot annually for local consumption and ar.

5 billion cedis and offer employment

Winneba (C/R), July 16, 1999, GNA, https://www. nneba-Salt-Project-Takes-off-in-October-7646#

eighty-seven (1487) bags of salt and alt Company ast two week.

y for bagging were also destroyed by desist from putting up buildings on

Water Treatment Area

nneba, July 6, 2009, GNA, https://www.ghanabusi-

Water Treatment Area

long the costal area f the key industry in bination with the inwith the waste water

Water Treatment Area

its source, along the

uctural

the waste water, the ent. The trash collecrea according to the

nal

the waste water and ording to the waste research center.

d gardens can be built restore and maintain oon. The garden can

Legend Paved Unpaved Track Footpath Waterbodies 2m Flood Zone Buildings Gutter Trash Collection (10min Walk Buffer) Trash Collection (5min Walk Buffer) Stormwater Wetland

salt pond landscape.

Low-salinity Aquaculture

eba.

188

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Trash Management

Waste Water Management

VINTONDALE RECLAMATION PARK Vintondale, Pennsylvania 1995-1998, construction completed 2004 Toxic orange streams and absence of life within their banks attest to the widespread environmental problem of devastation wrought by acid mine drainage (AMD). The Vintondale Reclamation Park project joined an interdisciplinary team of artists, designers, scientist, and historians with local communities, watershed groups, and state federal agencies, to collaborate on a model redevelopment initiative for post-coal mining regions.

RK

Planted Garden

in their banks attest to the widespread environmental problem of devastation wrought by clamation Park project joined an interdisciplinary team of artists, designers, scientists, and d groups, and state and federal agencies, to collaborate on a model redevelopment initia-

conservation + education

Agriculture Land

economy + conservation

Fish Pond

economy + conservation

www.dirtstudio.com/#vintondale

Interventions:

land

bacteria

The interventions aim to build an infrastructure system treating the 3 water from its source, 4 6 waste along its flow5 path in street gutters, to its collection point. in addition to treating solid waste and waste S.A.P.S. Settling Basin S.A.P.S. Settling Basin water, salt pondsAeration could be re-purposed for re-vegetation, alternative Oxygen stripping Oxygen stripping Aeration agricultural crops, plant nurseries, and fish ponds and aquaculture Neutralization Iron precipitation Neutralization Iron precipitation -limestone Reacidification -limestone Reacidification to restore ecological systems, and provide economic opportunities. pH 5.5

pH 4.0

pH 6.2

pH 6.0

7

8

Recreation Activities 9

Clarification Marsh

Emergent Wetland

Release Channel

Reduction Neutralization -sulfate reducing bacteria Evapotranspiration Vegetation

Evapotranspiration Vegetation

Treated water to creek

pH 7.0

pH 7.0

pH 6.5

anagement 189

Planted Garden

Conservation + Education

SALT POND REUSE

Toxic orange streams and absence of life within their banks attest to the widespread environmental problem of devastation wrought by acid mine drainage (AMD). The Vintondale Reclamation Park project joined an interdisciplinary team of artists, designers, scientists, and Reuniting City and Landscape Reuniting and Landscape historians with local communities, watershed groups, and state and federal agencies, to collaborate on a modelCity redevelopment initiative for post-coal mining regions.

VINTONDALE RECLAMATION PARK Vintondale, Pennsylvania

1995 – 1998, construction completed 2004 Toxic orange streams and absence of life within their banks attest to the widespread environmental problem of devastation wrought by acid mine drainage (AMD). The Vintondale Reclamation Park project joined an interdisciplinary team of artists, designers, scientists, and historians with local communities, watershed groups, and state and federal agencies, to collaborate on a model redevelopment initiative for post-coal mining regions.

source: D.I.R.T. Studio, Project: Vintondale Reclamation Park, http://www.dirtstudio.com/#vintondale source: D.I.R.T. Studio, Project: Vintondale Reclamation Park, http://www.dirtstudio.com/#vintondale

1

2

Acid Basin Oxidation Sedimentation

4

S.A.P.S.

Reduction Neutralization -sulfate reducing bacteria

Oxygen stripping Neutralization -limestone

pH 3.1 Oxidation

pH 5.5

Acid Basin

pH 2.9

3

1 Treatment Wetland

5

2Settling Basin

S.A.P.S.

Aeration Iron precipitation Reacidification

Treatment Wetland

Sedimentation pH 2.9

ReductionpH 4.0 Neutralization -sulfate reducing bacteria pH 3.1

3

Oxygen stripping Neutralization -limestone

S.A.P.S.

6

7

8

4 Clarification Marsh

Settling Basin

5 Emergent Wetland

Aeration Iron precipitation Reacidification

pHOxygen 6.2

pH 6.0 stripping Neutralization -limestone

pH 5.5

Reduction Neutralization -sulfate reducing bacteria Evapotranspiration Aeration Vegetation

Evapotranspiration Vegetation

Settling Basin

S.A.P.S.

pH 7.0

Release Channel

6

Treated water to creek pH 7.0

Settling Basi

Iron precipitation pH 6.5 Reacidification

Oxygen stripping Neutralization -limestone

Aeration Iron precipitation Reacidification

pH 4.0

pH 6.2

pH 6.0

Planted Garden

Waste Water Management

9

Conservation + Education

Selected Water Treatment Process Spawing

11

The best time of year to catch them is during their spawn which is anytime the water temperatures get over 68 degrees. You will know it is spawning time when you see perfectly circular and deep, dish-sized holes.

12

Mangrove: stabilizing the barriers

Waste Water Management

0.2’’

Economics + Conservation Agricultural Land stabilizing Mangrove: the soil

60 0.9’’ 50

Egg Laying

40

10

30

20

2.3’’

11

12

Fish Pond

Fertilization

Spawing

Fishing Pond

Collects Eggs in Mouth

Economics + Conservation

Planted constructed wetland

The best time of year to catch them is during their spawn which is anytime the water temperatures get over 68 degrees. You will know it is spawning time when you see perfectly circular and deep, dish-sized holes.

Conceptural Diagram Showing Link Between Season, Salinity and Water Depth

0.2’’ 60

pipe

10

eba, 60 km west of Acan average tidal range urements taken at the g Addo 2014) although y-first century (Mensah ason from September ermanently connected ely 90 km2 (Wuver and the major wet season tely 1000 ha but by the et al. 2000). Breaching ns, approximately once is released the inlet is global significance as a mportance as a coastal quality water (Nixon et ive Ramsar designated nous traditions (Wuver located directly on the wnspeople living on the

0.9’’ 50

Egg Laying

Fertilization

Collects Eggs in Mouth

Source: Gordon, Chris. “Hypersaline Lagoons as Conservation Habitats: Macro-Invertebrates at Muni Lagoon, Ghana.” Biodiversity & Conservation, vol. 9, no. 4, Apr. 2000, p. 465. EBSCOhost, doi:10.1023/A:1008906503227.

40

30

Conceptural Diagram Showing Link Between Season, Salinity and Water Depth

190

for Sustainability, 2009 6. Michael P. Mueller & Michael L. Bentley (2009), Environmental and Science Education in Developing| Nations: Approach Renewing and Revitalizing the Local Community andand Mappings Foreword OverviewA |Ghanaian Collaborative Processto| Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research Ecosystems, The Journal of Environmental Education, 40:4, 53-64, DOI: 10.3200/JOEE.40.4.53-64 7. Howard S. Wertheimer, Jason K. Gregory, Jonathan Lanciani, Sustainability Through Comprehensive Water Management, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2014 8. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Sustainable Campus Index, 2018 9. Ayers Saint Gross, Swarthmore College Campus Master Plan, 2013 10. Kofi Adu-Boahen, K.B. Antwi, Gerald Atampugre, Adams Osman, Waste management practices in Ghana: challenges and prospect, Jukwa Central Region

UEW Campus Re-envisioning and Education Potential | Chenjie Xiong Synopsis The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) is a school that trains the future professional educators.

• Curriculum •rapid Research - University Professors and students With 30,000 students, UEW plays a dominant role in the social and economic development of Academics Scholars all over world Winneba and Ghana. Education links academic theories and the -real world andthehas the opportunity • Sharing resources with K12 Schools to install values and practices in its teacher graduates to take the responsibility for a better city and country, and pass it onto future generations through their example and their teaching curricula.

The university with its extensive grounds should start to realize the assets of its land holdings and how important it is to utilize and benefit from it instead of ignoring it or depleting its resources. In Campus Community this project, I researchedOperations on the university in terms of the future possibilities of education, preserEngagement vation infrastructure and economics. My research proposes to strengthen the connection between UEW’s three campuses, between campus and surrounding nature outside the city, as well as between • Forest/River Preservation campus and locals, in order to imagineTreatment; a more sustainable campus- Combined experience livable city.

• Water - Rainwater/Flooding • Agriculture with and Research - Wastewater Treatment

- Local Food Production

• Waste - Waste Collection Job - Social Entrepreneuership Sustainable education in many universities is generally• confined to specific courses in classrooms, - Garbage Classification - Students Internship and not necessarily linked to practical lived applications and experiences.

How can UEW’s campuses - Plastic Bags • Local Infrastructure - Gutter be designed for •sustainability so that the outdoors could be tangible and enjoyed by teachers and Energy - Solar - Road; - Trash and city. The buildings students on a personal- Water and daily level on their journeys around the campus • Sustainable Buildings • Public Education - Churches and landscape at UEW could be a prototype and exemplary model which may also influence other - Nature places beyond.

Legend Current

Proposed

Main Road

Bicycle Lane / Shuttle

Paved

Trails

Unpaved Track

Salt Pond

Research Center

Agriculture Field

Research Center Buildings

Buildings

Pottery Farm

Green Corridor

University

K-12 Schools

Future Potential Green

Preserved Forest

Churches

Water Treatment

Footpath Gutter

191

Garbage collection & classification

Proposal Map

isioning and Education Potential

hey are separate individuple realize how important wer of education, promot-

Reuniting City and Landscape Status quo

sioned to a more sustainthe physical campus envinal educators, a enhancing the plays connection links acadEducation public, so that campus nes who should take d country in the future. ng to be a spine connectarting from the spine, the

Current Street - City Center

lize and benefit from eed to be dealt with nature that we bring

h natural and recreational is transformed from origitural park so that students cation, preservation through smart technoloand campus, campus neby using smart technolosustainable campus e area of agriculture fields ons. Moreover, the Winnend necessarily thenot university.

To summaeen the campus and onds and even sustainable

Proposed Street - City Center

xperience and pracototype which may

opportunities to students close to the forest, water s and Muni Lagoon, there as salt water. The Ideology tion. Educational hubs in hurches would become a

Forest Preserve

located along the th campus. Currently campuses and the stu-

Current Street - Northern City

or future shuttle routes on ansformed in a short term ns, green spaces and even nd the sacred riverit culdelegates still hope link between thesouth ddition, central and some possibilities amount of areathat of the puses could become ost important K12 one

Ntakrafah River

Intervention

UEW North Campus

academic resourcry school and agri-

Educational & Social Science

n the sea. People in Winnethe north eddition, human beings.

Trash coleublic Mankessim-Accra organizations should dassification Winneba.sites allocated oth students and local res; to others such as studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; the Ideological tudying are also possible. nd transform them ver the world to help make

Proposed Street - Northern City

vely very small beding constructions.

f, but also investigate the

Winneba utilizing thefounded power of eduo promote national or their rights and n a campus.

Pettery Farm

have a great effect ch residents about

City Center

Agricultural Field

h,86.29t/ pproach to Educating

Northern City

Future Vision

sustainability and

Education in Develncebuilding applicaLocal Community managing waste and 3200/JOEE.40.4.53-64 public transportality Through natural assetsCompresur-

f these sustainable

ducation, tudents in Sustainable the uni-

e of sustainability. reated a dynamic ntepeople and envi-pracmanagement on. Similarly, UEW and recreation, not ut also connecting hmore College and 1500 students, the urban expansion,

UEW Central Campus Theatre & Arts

Gutter

ors and students he world Schools

lture activities and of the local paddy public space at the ponds around the ainwater is purified nto the ground to were transformed ause of the inundafields located beResearch

UEW South Campus Science & Business

Ideological Institute

duction ip

GOALS --Assess and remove unneeded pavement.

--Maximize pervious ground surfaces for plants.

--Create an urban forest on campus. Plant trees to create beautiful comfortable outdoor public spaces.

--Plant the riparian stream corridor along Ntakrafah River and relink its water and plants to the Muni Lagoon.

e behavior-change experienced a tranor education as a ent shows the po. Educational tours and opportunities dations for people, led cottages adjapansion, Winneba dentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; housing, but

ane / Shuttle

collection & classification

h Center

h Center Buildings

orridor

otential Green

eatment

Proposal Current Map Map

Proposal Campus Map Precedents

192

Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Precedents

Interventions

Precedents

In this project, I was trying to make people realize how important the land and environmental sustainability is to their social lives by making use of the power of education to promote both public awareness and public action.

As the flagship educational university in Ghana, UEW campus should be re-envisioned as a more sustainable campus that considers environmental and cultural preservation, not only regarding the physical campus environment, but also social participation and connection. My proposals include enhancing the connection between the campus and nature, campus and campus, as well as campus and public, so that campus becomes a mediator between the city and nature and builds a sustainable city and country in the future.

Currently the only transportation route connecting campuses is along Windy Bay Drive a heavily car-trafficked roadway. The road is not designed for pedestrian or bike comfort and safety. Can the road be redesigned to accommodate water, bikes, vegetation, walkers and cars?

My research suggests that alternative routes off the main drive could serve pedestrians and bikes more safely.

Given the forest and river resources around the north campus, a green riparian corridor with both natural and recreational spaces is proposed next to the campus to connect campus and nature. Part of the preserved forests could be developed to a natural park so that students and residents could take walks and investigate various types of plants with the labels or through smart technologies. Water ponds along the sacred Ntakrafah River are going to deal with the inundation by using smart technologies to collect and utilize storm water; the collected water could irrigate nearby recreational sport and agriculture fields adjacent to the corridor. Local food production could also be a way of sustainable operations. Moreover, the Winneba Secondary School could also benefit from the corridor and share the resources with the university. To summarize, landscape such as preserved forest, agriculture field, rainwater collection ponds and even sustainable buildings would become valuable didactic hands-onteaching tools.

193

bicycle lanes are truly needed to be built. Although the city is now controlled by cars, our delegates still hope it cul tivate a pedestrian-oriented culture which encourages more sustainable trip mode. In addition, central and south campus are very near and their size are relatively very small, our delegates put forward some possibilities that the City and Landscape university could buy some pieces of land between them so that Reuniting the current two campuses could become one campus, and education and research activities could be more connected.

Littering makes the environment vulnerable and terrible, especially the white pollution in the sea. People in Winne ba have to realize the waste issue not only to local residents themselves but to the whole human beings. Trash col lection and classification should be two high priorities to be concerned. Schools and public organizations should act together to appeal to the right way of dealing with the trash. Trash collection and classification sites allocated along the main streets, in schools as well as churches would be the first step to educate both students and local res idents. Trash campaign is only one of the connections between university and public; others such as students internship engaging in the environment, social entrepreneurs who sponsor people for studying are also possible Current Street - City Center Starting from that, more and more organizations and professions are attracted from all Street over the Current - Cityworld Centerto help make the city better.

In conclusion, the interventions not only hope to improve the education at UEW itself, but also investigate the potential of improving infrastructure, conservation and economy in Winneba as well by utilizing the power of edu cation, which is one of the most important parts of the country development.

City Center Forest Preserve

Proposed Street - Northern City Northern City

References

Proposed Street - City Center Proposed Street - City Center

1. https://www.swarthmore.edu/sustainability/about-us 2. https://uwec.ug/ 3. https://www.turenscape.com/en/project/detail/324.html 4. https://www.google.com/maps/@5.3471392,-0.6289769,3a,75y,347.28h,86.29t/ 5. Jennifer Mcmillin and Bob Dyball, Developing a Whole-of-University Approach to Educating for Sustainability, 2009 Current Street - Northern City in Devel 6. Michael P. Mueller & Michael L. Bentley (2009), Environmental and Science Education Current Street - Northern City oping Nations: A Ghanaian Approach to Renewing and Revitalizing the Local Community and Ecosystems, The Journal of Environmental Education, 40:4, 53-64, DOI: 10.3200/JOEE.40.4.53-64 7. Howard S. Wertheimer, Jason K. Gregory, Jonathan Lanciani, Sustainability Through Compre hensive Water Management, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2014 8. The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, Sustainable Campus Index, 2018 9. Ayers Saint Gross, Swarthmore College Campus Master Plan, 2013 10. Kofi Adu-Boahen, K.B. Antwi, Gerald Atampugre, Adams Osman, Waste management prac tices in Ghana: challenges and prospect, Jukwa Central Region Proposed Street - Northern City Proposed Street - Northern City

Northern City Windy Bay Street Academics

City Center City Center

In conclusion, the interventions not only hope to improve the education at UEW itself, but also investigate the potential of improving infrastructure, conservation and economy in Winneba and recognize the ability and responsibility of landscapes from homes to campuses, to contribute to the greater environmental wellbeing.

• Curriculum • Research - University Professors and students - Scholars all over the world • Sharing resources with K12 Schools

Northern City Northern City

Campus Operations • Forest/River Preservation • Water - Rainwater/Flooding Treatment; - Wastewater Treatment • Waste - Waste Collection - Garbage Classification - Plastic Bags • Energy - Solar - Water • Sustainable Buildings

Community Engagement • Agriculture - Combined with Research - Local Food Production • Job - Social Entrepreneuership - Students Internship • Local Infrastructure - Gutter - Road; - Trash • Public Education - Churches - Nature

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

EFFUTU BUTTERFLY FARMING of butterflies prefer forest habitats, 13.4% like grassland | Andrea Aragon Hernandez This project began through the investigation of butterfly farms in various regions throughout the world, such as Eastern Africa.

The cultivation and farming of butterflies has been identified as a strategy that could be implemented at the Muni Lagoon Ramsar Site. This research brings together some of the ways in which butterfly farming could create a monetary incentive for citizens to become active participants in reforestation efforts. The creation of the Effutu butterfly farm is meant to showcase the economic potential of the cultivation and farming of butterflies in Winneba.

Through the sale and profit of live butterfly pupae internationally, the Muni-Pomadze conservation team can discourage deforestation and unsustainable resource extraction. Butterfly farming is highly dependent on a diversity in vegetative habitats: 83%

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vegetation, and only 3.6% of butterflies are willing to live in any environment. Due to the direct link between vegetative diversity and butterfly availability, similar butterfly projects to the one I am proposing have been able to lower deforestation by around 75% to 90%. Butterfly farming is one of the approaches that inspired Butterfly farming is but one of several the approaches for alternative, wiseuse farming, whose end result is to help in reforesting areas that have been heavily degraded.

The center and the terraces that I have included in my design are meant to look at butterfly farming, the Taungyan system, and a reforestation strategy that allows for a charcoal business. This center is meant to teach low income and disadvantaged farmers new forms of wise use extraction that can be economically beneficial and contribute to reforestation efforts by the Ghana Wildlife Commission.

Reuniting City and Landscape 2018

2050

2035

4.1% Temporarily Unemployed 8.9% Unnable to Work

52.2% Employed 4.5% Unemployed Home Duties

Deforestation and Population Growth Trends

12% Effutu Municipality populatoin living below GHC 1,314 ($241.26) / year poverty level

30.4% Unemployed Full Time Education

Unemployment and Poverty in Effutu Region

Main Occupations of Effutu Residents Direct Resource Extraction 40% Crop Farming 17%

Vegetable Farming 12%

Fishing 10%

Service Industry 28%

Trading 21%

Artisan 5% None 6%

Fish and Livestock Farming 1%

Population Density 2,180 - 1,416 1,415 - 864 863 - 630 629 - 449

Gordon, Chris, et al. “The MuniPomadze Ramsar site”. Biodiversity and Conservation, September 1999, 456

448 - 231 Water Bodies Salt Ponds

UEW Campus

0 MILES

0.25

.5

Butterfly Farm Map Proposal1.5 1

Gordon, Chris, et al. “The MuniPomadze Ramsar site”. Biodiversity and Conservation, September 1999, 454

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Reforestation Center Proposal Diagram

Butterfly Worldwide Distribution

Habitat Distribution 12.6 %

7.2%

1

7% 13.

3.4

3.6

.8% Primary and82Secondary Forest

na Gha % 17.8 1

Savannah Centered

3.4

3.6

.5% 22

Primary and Secondary Forest

Savannah Centered

83

44

.1 %

Ubiquitous

Ubiquitous Afrotropical

Current Conditions

Proposed Intervention

Australian

Oriental

Holiartic

83

Neotropical

5-10 year Reforestation Results

Potential Species

Scientific Name Habitat

Foodplants

Blue Policeman

Blue Diadem

Common Name

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Western Yelllow Cape White

Clouded Mother-of-Pearl

Western Empe

47 mm

25 mm

44 mm

30 mm

68 mm

60 mm

Hypolimnas Salmacis

Coeliades Chalybe

Charaxes Varanes

Belenois hedyle

Salamis Anacadii

Papilo Menestheu

Secondary Forest (Humid) Dense Savannah

Primary Forest Secondary Forest

Primary Forest (Dry) Secondary Forest Dense Savannah Urban Gardens

Secondary Forests (Dry)

Primary Forests Dense Savannah

Primary Forest Secondary Fores

Urticaceae Fleurya

Malpighiaceae Acridocarpus smeathmannii

Allophylus africanus

Capparis

Asclepiadaceae Marsdenia

Cardiospermum

Capparaceae

Sapindacea Schmidelia

Maerua

Asystasia Brillantaisia Isoglossa Justcia Mimulopsis

Citrus

Urticaceae Urera

$ 2.00

$ 2.50

$ 2.75

Sterculiaceae Theobroma cacao

Sale Price

Pearl Emperor

$ 2.00

$ 2.75

Anacardiaceae

$ 2.50

Rutaceae Fagara

ouded Mother-of-Pearl

Reuniting City and Landscape

Butterfly Farming Process

March and April females start to lay eggs

Eggs take 7-21 days to hatch

Western Emperor Swallowtail 60 mm

Caterpillars take about 4 weeks to form chrysalis

Pupae hatch within 7-12 days. Pupae need to be collected bi-weekly

African Blue Banded Swallowtail

Common Blue Charaxes

Common Blue-Banded Forester

55 mm

41 mm

Mature butterflies live for about 2 weeks

Pupae must be shipped within days of chrysalis forming

The Forest Pearl Charaxes

48 mm

46 mm

nacadii

Papilo Menestheus

Papilo Nireus

Euphaedra Harpalyce

Charaxes Tiridates

Charaxes Fulvescens

orests vannah

Primary Forest Secondary Forest

Primary Forest (Humid) Secondary Forest (H) Urban Gardens

Primary Forest Secondary Forests Urban Gardens

Primary Forests Secondary Forest Dense Savanna

Primary Forest Secondary Forest

Citrus

Fagara macrophylla

Sapindaceae Allophylus

Rutaceae: Calodendron Clausena Citrus Teclea Toddalia

(Blighia, Lecaniodiscus, Paullinia, Phialodiscus) Sapindaceae

Ulmaceae

Rutaceae Fagara macrophylla

Santalaceae

Allophylus africanus

sia

sis

$ 2.75

$ 2.00

Bligha Sapida Lecaniodiscus cupanoides

Fabaceae Linaceae Sapindaceae Flacourtiaceae

$ 2.00

$ 2.00

$ 2.00

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings

Winneba’s Founding Story Winneba is, at its heart, a community deeply connected to the history and culture of the Effutu people. Unlike other coastal cities, towns and communities, which have been subsumed by more populous and powerful ethnic groups like the Akan, Winneba has retained much of its unique heritage. The Effutu themselves are part of a larger ethnic group called the Guan and the existence of an ancient Effutu / Guan heritage is evidenced by the continued use of a Guan-based language as well as the current practice of religious and social traditions that have existed from the earliest days of Winneba’s settlement during the mid to late 10th century. In Effutu, the word Guan literally means to “move on” or “run away” and these definitions have served as a worthy description of the Guan’s long and arduous journey from central Africa to eventual settlement along the coast in present day Ghana, Togo, Benin and Cote d’Ivoire. Indeed, it is also important to recognize the central role that the Guan played not just in the founding of Winneba but also of Ghana itself.

There is broad agreement among scholars that the larger Guan ethnic group originated in the region of present-day central Mali in what some call the Empire of Ghana or the Western Sudanese Kingdom. Sometime between 1100 and 1200 A.D. a significant portion of the Guan – including the Effutu - made a decision to leave central Africa in search of better living conditions elsewhere. It is thought that the primary driver for migration was the inability of the arid climate and ecosystem of central Africa to support intensive human settlement and use patterns. A forested, relatively lush climate was generally sought and lands with such qualities were known to exist to the south.

It is also important to note that the Guan migration did not occur en masse.

Individual groups left over a period of years and each group followed a different course with different stops along the way. After starting out, the group that included the Effutu of Winneba briefly stopped in the Gonjaland, near present day Daboya and east of Damang and the White Volta River. A portion of the Guans remained and stayed in the Gonjaland while the rest of the group continued to move south towards to the Afram Plains in what is today central Ghana.

A second subset of the group settled in the Afram Plains while a third continued south through the Bono Kingdom (Brong Ahafo) without stopping.

This last group, which consisted of the Effutu who would settle Winneba, finally reached the Ghanaian coast at the site of present day Cape Coast.

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Upon arriving at the coast, the goal of the group became the discovery of a reliable fresh water source and a place to permanently settle.

After staying in the Cape Coast area for a short period the Effutu continued their search eastwards in the direction of present day Winneba.. They soon reached a site they called Dwomma - now known as Mumford - where they stopped again. It was thought that Dwomma could serve as a good settlement place but when scarcity of water again became an issue it was decided to move on. In the end, however, some of the Effutu decided to stay in Dwomma while the majority continued further east in search of water and a permanent place to settle.

As the group traveled along the coast they came across a mountain that they suspected had a settlement at its base. According to historian Anthony Ephirim-Donkor, the Effutu cried “Ayei omako” which meant “look, a town!”.

What was thought to be a town actually turned out to be only an illusion, but the name remained. To this day, the mountain is called Manko.

After trudging over Manko, the Effutu soon reached the lagoon on the western side of present day Winneba. Thinking that the lagoon contained fresh water, the Effutu were initially excited. However, upon tasting the water they quickly realized that it was brackish and declared that it was “Muboni” meaning “he is hard”. A decision was made to continue moving east in search of water. Overtime, the word “Muboni” was changed into “Moni” and, because the lagoon was discovered on a Wednesday, the lagoon’s name became Kweku Moni.

After leaving the eastern side of the Moni Lagoon the Effutu group began to head inland and passed through the site which would become the ceremonial epicenter of the modern day Aboakyer Festival grounds, located on the lagoon’s northeastern side. As stated earlier, another important reason why the Effutu continued to move eastward was to find a secure place to settle, preferably a hilltop where marauding bands of hostile tribal groups could be spotted before they could gather for an attack. The Effutu feared the Ashanti tribe most of all because of their skills as warriors and their propensity to sell their captives into European slavery.

The Effutu moved southwards from the Aboakyer festival grounds towards the coast. In the process they sighted a low hill in the distance and moved

Reuniting City and Landscape towards it. Upon arrival, they decided to continue investigating lands further to the south and pressed on towards a hilly site on the coast that appeared to hold the possibility of a secure site. In the end, the hilltop turned out to be ideal and was named “Alata Kokodo” which means “Hilltop of Alata”. In an aside, Alata Kokodo became the future site of the colonial era fort which dominated the town until its destruction in 1812.

From the Alata Kokodo the Effutu were pleased to find that they had many options. From their new position they could either easily defend themselves or, after spotting attackers long before their arrival, flee if necessary. They settled and established themselves on a small plain slightly below the crest of the hill. This is the present day Kweemu grounds. The same area was also called “Tsitsi Eguaso” meaning ancient market, which was also deemed to be a worthy place for a shrine for the god, Penyae Otu. The shrine, in its original form, would have been constructed of thatch and formed into a dome-like structure. This same area has remained as the home of Penkyae Otu and today contains a circular masonry shrine that is still considered to be Winneba’s most important sacred site.

During the initial stages of settling on the Kweemu grounds the Effutu saw a river entering the Gulf of Guinea a short distance to the east of Alata Kokodo.

They were struck by the fact that its color was brown instead of blue like the sea and they decided to investigate further. A small group ventured towards the river and on their way they found a smaller freshwater stream that was considered to be too small to be of use for the group. Moving on, they finally came to the river that they had seen from Alata Kokodo. They tasted the water and, after finding it fresh, yelled “amana ani yen nsu” meaning “we now have water”! Over time, this cry was shortened to Ayensu and became the name of the river. After bathing in the river the group returned to their elders to share the good news. The discovery of potable water so close to the Kweemu grounds further convinced the Effutu that a permanent settlement should be established.

The new settlement was centered on two key areas: A plain slightly below the crest of Alata Kokodo and another center nearer to the beach and known as “Penkye”. The name Penkye was derived from “Ana ane prekye”, meaning “let us land” in Effutu. From Alata Kokodo and the plain slightly below the crest of the hill, the Effutu had many options; they could either easily defend themselves or flee if necessary to go and hide upon sighting the Ashanti warriors. From that position they said among themselves, “ana ane prekye” meaning “let’s land” and began the process of building a permanent settlement.

The coastal site became the nucleus of the new community and the dwelling place of its most prominent citizens. Overtime, “Ana ane Prekye” was shortened to its present day name, Penkye. The Penkye area stretched along the waterfront at the base of the hill and included the area that is now the site of the old courthouse and customs-building complex. For many years, there remained an open, linear connection between Penkye and the shrine to Penkyae Otu at the Kweemu grounds / Tsitsi Eguaso. Between the linear connection from the coast and the Penkye Otu shrine was the royal house of Otuano family. The Otuano royal family are the traditional kings of Winneba as well as the custodians of the Penkyea Otu shrine. Historically, the shrine

area was left open and undeveloped until building in the area began only in the last decade. The newly formed settlement became known as “Simpa” which is a shortened version of the word “Osimpam”, meaning builder, and was named for “The Builder”, King Bondzie abe, the leader who led the Effutu to Winneba. Soon after Simpa was established, King Bondzie abe sent messengers back to Dwomma for the remaining Effutu to come and join the new settlement. However, the remaining Effutu declined the invitation and stayed at Dwomma.

During Simpa’s early years there lived a tribal leader named Tetteh Gyankuma.

The Effutu of Winneba have traditionally had two warrior groups; the Tuafo Asafo Company and the Dentsefo Asafo Company. In his time, Tetteh Gyankuma was the leader of the Dentsefo. For three years Gyankuma and his group were away from Winneba fighting the Ashanti tribes in the north.

He was victorious in many battles and, upon his return to Winneba, brought with him as trophies two skulls and two drums. He decided to place the two skulls in his mothers house and the two drums at his fathers house in order to confer prominence on the two places and status as places where public quarrels could be mediated. Both houses were located near the seaside end of the Otuano. Today there exists two of Winneba’s primary sacred site in the Otuano/ Penkye area. The aforementioned shrine near the crest of Alata Kokodo at Kweemu grounds as well as the general boatyard area which is one of Winneba’s oldest settled quarters.

During the same period, a shrine to the deity Akrama was also built in the Simpa’s central area. Overtime and due to increasing development pressures the shrine was moved to the east edge of town near the present site of the old public cemetery and Winneba’s principle refuse dump. At the time of its relocation, however, the site was far from any human settlement and was thought to be remote enough to serve as a fitting home for one of the community’s most sacred deities.

The James Meredith Incident In 1812, the British colonial administrator and acting Commandant of Winneba was killed in an act of revenge, which constituted the first indigenous West African uprising against British rule on the Gold Coast. As the story goes, the residents of Winneba and the surrounding areas had long been in the habit of collecting surface gold that periodically washed to the surface after heavy rains. Not having a secure place to store their gold and with the warring Ashante in the region, the people resorted to using Winneba’s colonial fort as a storage facility. Unbeknownst to them, however, was the fact that their gold was secretly being stolen.

Even during early nineteenth century Winneba thrived as a surf port and canoes laden with all manner of goods were commonly seen traversing the harbor towards ships anchored in deep water. According to most accounts, James Meredith’s crime was to secretly load the deposited gold into barrels – which had much the same appearance as those containing everyday goods – and load them onto ships leaving Winneba bound for England. But one day in 1812 a careless porter accidentally dropped a barrel during loading and, as it shattered on impact, it was discovered that it was actually full of stolen gold.

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings A hue and cry went up immediately and after some investigation the aggrieved residents seized Meredith. One text from the period describes his punishment as one in which “they set fire to dry grass, and taking off [Meredith’s] boots, forced him to walk over it barefooted. He was frequently beaten, and his arms were stretched out horizontally at full length, and fastened to a long pole which was pressed upon his throat, and caused him much pain.” Meredith eventually died as a result of this treatment and the punishment to the people of Winneba was severe.

Soon thereafter, a British naval squadron weighed anchor in Winneba harbor and set to work exacting revenge. In the naval bombardment that followed, the fort that overlooked the town was destroyed and many of the homes surrounding it were burned to the ground. In addition, the residents of Winneba were required to pay an indemnity equal to the injury and damage resulting from the death of James Meredith. Author Anthony Ephirim-Donkor writes that the British forced the people to fill a huge scale with gold. Ordered to keep filling until the scale’s bars eventually broke, the ecstatic British began to shout, “We have won the bar”.

In an aside, Ephirim-Donkor writes that some elders contend that “Won the bar” is also the source of the name Winneba and resulted from a corruption of the British chant. However, other explanations for the name exist as well.

Other theories contend that the origins of the name date back to other periods during the European colonization and could be corruptions of either the English name for the area as “Windy Bay” or the German descriptor “Wunderbar”. However, while Winneba is the community’s official name it is still known as Simpa to Effutu inhabitants.

Winneba Enters the Modern Era Winneba’s period as a colonial town was marked by an increase in trade, a strong economy and increased governmental activity. While Winneba had functioned as both a point of import and export before the arrival of the Europeans, under the British it truly began to flourish. Its geographical location at approximately the midpoint between the important ports of Accra and Cape Coast meant that it neither competed with larger ports nor lost potential business to them. In A New Geography of Ghana authors Kwamia Dickson and George Benneh describe how European commerce and coastal development served to depopulate inland villages and towns as occupants migrated towards the coast in an effort to take part in the booming coastal economy. As a result, former fishing and small time trading communities like Winneba experienced a drastic change in fortune over a relatively short period of time.Winneba was, in particular, also changed by its position within the British colonial government. It served as the administrative capital of the old Central Province and therefore saw the construction of colonial governmental facilities including court and administrative buildings as well as residential neighborhoods on the community’s outskirts.

Winneba’s surf port-based economy continued to thrive until two major factors contributed its eventual decline. First, the construction of a Cape Coast – Accra road in 1939 served to divert much of the automobile and

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truck traffic away from Winneba and towards the town of Swedru located 24 kilometers to the north. Secondly, deep-water ports began to open in the early twentieth century with Sekondi-Takordi to the west in 1920 and to the east at Tema in 1962. These ports made Winneba, and almost every other surf port on Ghana’s coast, obsolete almost overnight.

Today, a much smaller portion of Winneba’s economy is supported by its connection to the sea. But the economy has also diversified in many different ways. Following Ghana’s independence in 1957, the new nation’s first president, Kwame Nkruma, decided to transform a small, local college into an institute dedicated to the training of African nationalists from across the continent. While the Kwame Nkruma Ideological Institute only existed until Nkruma’s government was overthrown in 1968 an institute of higher learning still exists in Winneba. The University of Education, Winneba (UEW) was founded in 1992 with the primary purpose of teacher education and still occupies the academic complex that Nkruma so greatly enlarged. With a current student population of more than 40,000, UEW drastically increases Winneba’s population during session as well as providing a boost to the local economy.

Economically, Winneba is a far cry from its heyday as an important port on the Gold Coast. Farming and fishing still play an important role but as the importance of the port has decreased the primacy of the service industry has increased. Education, tourism, the annual Aboakyer Festival and retail sales now make up much of the community’s economic foundation. Overall, Winneba, while diminished, still retains its position as a regional economic force and a trading center for the area between Accra and Cape Coast. These factors don’t, however, make up for the fact that Winneba is in need of economic stabilization and a more sustainable form of economic growth. An adequate substitute still remains to be found to make up for the decline of the port and the resulting economic and social downturn.

Winneba Institutions | The Otuano Royal Family When the Effutu left central Africa they were guided by their king and chief priest Kwame Gyateh Ayirebe Gyan. Already old at the time of their departure, Ayirebe Gyan had three sons but was determined to personally lead his people on their journey south. When the Effutu began their journey they took with them three deities including Penkyae Otu. Ayirebe Gyan himself was believed to be the host for one of Penkyae Otu’s younger brothers who was named Tuway Enyiwa-enyiwa.

Ayirebe Gyan’s role was somewhat different than the kings who hold power over Winneba today. Gyan was actually both a king and a priest which meant that he was responsible for both the transport, veneration and offerings to the Effutu’s deities as well as being the Effutu’s leader. Because Ayirebe Gyan also served as the vessel for Tuway Enyiwa-enyiwa he was believed to hold incredible supernatural powers, which included multiple eyes positioned about his head and forehead. He hid these powers, however, behind a benign outer demeanor and a hat that concealed his additional eyes.

Despite the fact that Ayirebe Gyan was well over one hundred years old when the Effutu started their migration he survived the journey from central Africa all the way to the semi-permanent coastal settlement of Dwomma. One day, while Ayirebe Gyan was taking a midday rest several children crept into his

Reuniting City and Landscape dwelling and decided play a trick on him by removing his cap. Upon removal of the cap, the surprised children discovered that Ayirebe Gyan had many eyes and that they were looking at them with disapproval. As this happened.

Twoma Enyiwa-enyiwa spoke through Ayirebe Gyan declaring to the children that he had been charged by god to guide the Effutu to their new home.

Upon completing this statement he sank into the ground.

The Effutu were in a panic. Their venerable leader had just disappeared and he was nowhere to be found. In an attempt to find him, the Effutu dug up the area that he had disappeared into but found nothing. Of course no trace was ever found of him. Instead, a portion of the earth was collected, formed into a sphere and brought with the Effutu on their journey towards a permanent settlement.

The death of Ayirebe Gyan could have left the Effutu leaderless before the end of their journey. But fortunately, the Effutu held a tradition of training the next in line for the throne well before succession was to take place. The reason behind such a lengthy period of training was to insure that the new priest-king fully understood the responsibilities and requirements of both important and highly complex positions.

In anticipation of potential trouble along their journey, both the son and grandson of Ayirebe Gyan had been installed as priest-kings in the eventuality that Ayirebe Gyan perished along the way. As a result, Ayirebe Gyan’s son, Gyateh Sisii, and grandson were trained and ready to fill the power vacuum.

When Ayirebe Gyan’s death came, his grandson, Bondzie abe, was chosen as his successor. Overtime, he was to become known as Osimpam or “The Builder” because he was, and is, credited with the founding and building of Winneba.

Osimpam led the Effutu on the remainder of their journey; although they did not have far to go before they reached their new home. The rule of Ayirebe Gyan and Bondzie abe established the Otuano as the royal household and put in place its tradition of rule over Winneba. Over the intervening centuries, generations of Otuanos – who now hold the Anglicized last name of Ghartey – have held the stool, or throne, of Winneba and have ruled over the community.

There have been, however, three instances in which Gharteys have not ruled Winneba and these periods are at the center of what is known locally as the Chieftaincy Dispute. In 1858, Winneba was ruled by a regent who was also an ex-king. The regent Bondzie Quaye had been destooled in 1828 based solely on the fact that he was considered to be unattractive. He was brought back to power when his predecessor, King Ghartey III, abdicated the throne for health reasons. After his return, Bondzie Quaye ruled for a total of seven years and in 1858 stepped down in favor of another king.

The man who should have ruled Winneba was named Kwamina Akyeampong.

But by 1858 he was already deeply involved in business and had thriving commercial concerns in many communities along the Ghanaian coast.

Based on his thriving businesses he refused the throne and a replacement was sought out. Unfortunately, Akyeampong was the only rightful heir to

the throne. The Otuano royal family was in a bind; the only rightful heir to the throne had refused the position and some license would be required in choosing the next king.

After some deliberation, the decision was made to enstool an individual named Henry Aquah. Henry was the son of Ayensua, the sister of the 8th king of Winneba. In theory he was only supposed to serve as a placeholder until another rightful heir from the Otuano family was ready. Looking back, the enstoolment of Aquah should have raised red flags from the beginning.

Traditionally, the Otuanos have always followed patrilineal succession and the enstoolment of Henry Aquah was the first instance in the history of Winneba in which matrilineal succession had taken place. At the time, however, it was seen as an aberration; a temporary solution to the issue at hand.

Certainly no one at the time could have foreseen the trouble that a decision made more than 150 years ago would have on the leadership, economy and society of Winneba. There would be two more members of the Aquah family that would succeed Henry during different periods, the last of them reigning until 1941. These ‘kings’ would divide Winneba along sectarian lines and foul up the process of governance. Even up to the present, the issue of paternal versus maternal succession divides the community. The two Asafo companies have even taken sides with the Asafo siding with the Otuano and the Dentsifo siding with the Aquahs. Today, however, much of the high tension has dissipated and the majority of the population once more accepts the Otuano as the rightful rulers of Winneba.

Asafo Warrior Companies Approximately 150 years after the founding of Winneba, King Bondzie II – whose reign spanned from 1560 – 1600 – decided that the community needed an organized body of men to carry out communal labor projects.

Previously, Winneba lacked anything approximating such an organization and Bondzie II solved the problem by decree. Known at first as the Akomfoadze-fo and composed entirely of men, the group’s responsibilities soon expanded to include both military as well as religious duties. Charged with the protection of Winneba, the Akomfo-adze-fo developed a reputation for wild displays of ferocity and an ecstatic level of bloodlust just prior to going into battle. Eventually the group’s name changed from Akomfo-adze-fo to the Tuafo (Number 1) Asafo Company.

Upon the death of King Bondzie II in 1600 his grandson Bondzie Essiedu took the throne. Early in a reign that lasted for the next 66 years, Bondzie Essiedu decided to organize a second militia group along the lines of his grandfather’s Tuafo Company. The second militia, known as the Dentsifo Asafo (Number 2) Company, was meant to serve in a complementary and somewhat subservient role in its relationship to the Tuafo Company. In order to facilitate the effective organization of the new company Bondzie Essiedu dispatched some of the leadership of the Tuafo Company to train the newly formed company and its commissioned officers.

Traditionally, each Asafo Company had an established leadership structure consisting of several ranks. One Tufuhen serves as the Chief of Arms and

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Foreword | Overview | Collaborative Process | Student Design Proposals | Looking Ahead I Research and Mappings commander of both companies while also serving as a liaison between the reigning King and the Asafo Companies. Ranking below the Tufuhen, each company has three Sofohen or Captains who hold command over the three subgroups that each Company is divided into.

born” - because, as mentioned in the founding story of Winneba, the Guan discovered the lagoon on a Wednesday.

Today, the Asafo Companies play a largely ceremonial role. However, in addition to their involvement in the Aboakyer Festival, the Companies have an important function in the selection and enstoolment of kings from within the Otuano royal family. Historian Anthony Ephirim-Donkor describes the Asafo Companies as the “only traditional legal body entitled to nominate, elect and install a king.” Each Company has its own distinct traditions, uniforms and representative colors of which white and green are assigned to the Asafo and red and gold to the Dentsifo.

Osaka | The god Osaka plays a minor role in the constellation of deities active in the lives of the Effutu but an explanation is warranted because of his connection to a prominent sacred site in Winneba. Osaka resides in a sacred or fetish grove just to the east of Winneba on the road to Oyibi. Many years ago Osaka became angry with the people of Winneba because they were using the fetish grove as a burial and defecation site. In retaliation for such disgrace Osaka gave many people in the community chronic stomach cramps and other ailments. Eventually, Penkyae Otu, through his spokesman Kweku Mbonyi, ordered the people to cease desecration of the grove. When his orders were obeyed the stomach ailments ceased.

As a matter of tradition and because of the royal position of its founder, the Asafo company was aligned in the traditional paternal manner of the Otuano royal house. The Denstifo, in what is perhaps the primary difference from the Asafo, was aligned differently. King Bondzie Essiedu decided upon formation of the new company to align it with his mother’s house and thus created a maternal affiliation. As a result, the Dentsifo’s maternal affiliation would have wide ranging effects down through time and have an effect on the politics and divisions of Winneba’s long running Chieftaincy Dispute.

Ayensu | Ayensu is the Effutu god of water and the chief supplier of it to the people of Winneba. Ayensu lives in the river that bears his name and forms the eastern border of the community. Effutus believe that whoever drinks the river water will experience improved health and added vitality. Both the god and the river play an integral part in the enstoolment ceremonies of kings.

During the ceremony the newly crowned king is immersed in the river three times. It is believed that Ayensu speaks both Effutu and Twi, which are the languages of the Guan and the Akan, respectively.

Religion and Festivals | Local Deities

Akrama | Like many of the Effutu’s gods, Akrama is believed to have lived by the edge of the Winneba harbor since time immemorial. Akrama’s shrine was on a linear path from Penkyae Otu’s Otuano house in the direction of the sea but has since been moved to a point farther inland. Akrama holds power over the sea and his favor is critical in ensuring a bountiful harvest of fish and other sea creatures. According to Wyllie, during the Aboakyer Festival the severed head of the captured deer is given to Akrama to ensure a bountiful fish harvest over the coming year.

The Guan people believe in a “remote creator” or all-powerful being that rules supreme over creation. The creator’s name is Nyimpo or “god of all gods”. It is said that below Nyimpo are seventy-seven sub-deities, who hold a wide variety of roles within Guan society. Some deities are benign and provide help to the population while others are malicious and are best stayed away from.

At the same time, some deities exist to serve other more powerful deities or to protect specific areas. Anthropologist Robert Wyllie has written an excellent briefing paper on Guan deities published in the journal Anthropos in 1966 and entitled “Notes on the Effutu Deities”. What follows is a short description of five of the most powerful or unique among the pantheon of local deities.

Penkyae Otu | Penkyae Oto is the chief deity of the Effutu of Winneba. While he is not the “god of all gods” he is seen as the one deity who holds the most power over the lives and fortunes of the community. He is viewed as the protector of the health and welfare of the people and therefore is treated with great respect and adoration. Penkyae Otu was brought to Winneba with the Guan who originally settled the community and is seen as a direct connection to the Guan ancestral homeland. The people of Winneba believe, however, that Penkyae Otu’s protection is not without its costs. Rites of worship and sacrifice are performed throughout the year and culminate each spring with the Aboakyer Festival. The house of Otuano, wherein Penkyae Otu lives, is said to have been the first structure built in Winneba and is located on a rise near the center of the oldest part of Winneba.

Kweku Mbonyi | Kweku Mbonyi resides in the Moni Lagoon immediately west of Winneba and functions as the mouth piece or spokesman for Penkyae Otu. Kweku Mbonyi was given the appellation “Kweku” – meaning “Wednesday

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Aboakyer (Deer Hunting) Festival The Aboakyer Festival is the largest and most important religious ceremony within the community of Winneba and is performed primarily as an act of thanksgiving to the deity Penkyae Otu. Aboakyer has existed for centuries yet over recent years it has evolved from a local festival to one of national importance. The festival regularly draws visitors from all over the region and it is not unusual for attendance figures to reach 25 – 30,000 including dignitaries from both the civil and traditional authorities.

The Aboakyer Festival now takes place during the first weekend of May with festivities, both public and private, lasting for more than a week. Traditionally, the date of Aboakyer was determined through consultation with Penkyae Otu and could fluctuate by more than a month. However, for the past forty years the first weekend in May has been established as the festival date in order to allow for the busy schedules of visiting dignitaries as well as for encouraging an increase in the numbers of visitors and tourists in attendance.

Aboakyer, in its most ancient form, used a human being as the sacrifice of thanksgiving to Penkyae Otu. Over time though, human sacrifice became

Reuniting City and Landscape culturally unacceptable and alternatives were sought. For a period, leopards were seen as the next best option. But because the rites of Aboakyer require that the sacrifice be alive at the time of its presentation, leopards, in the end, proved to be far too difficult and dangerous to capture and present without the loss of too many Asafo warriors.

The dangers associated with the sacrifice of a leopard prompted elders to again consider alternative options. After consultation among themselves, a deer was settled on as a satisfactory substitute because it was thought that the deer’s blood and meat was very similar to that of a human being.

Festival preparations actually start well before the beginning of May and begin with a ban on deer hunting within the general geographical area of the Kweku Moni Lagoon. This includes much of the wooded watershed area to the north of the lagoon. Aboakyer officially begins on a Friday afternoon with ritual ceremonies, parades by the two Asafo Companies as well as appeals to a variety of deities for help in preparation for the hunt the next day. The epicenter of Friday’s activity is in the center of Winneba with the main streets taking on a carnival like atmosphere as a variety of processions and parades wind their way through the community’s choked streets.

As Saturday morning dawns the epicenter of the festival moves north of town to an area closer to the wooded northern portion of the Kweku Moni Lagoon. There, after a series of formalities and ceremonies aimed at honoring both deities and visiting dignitaries, the two unarmed, and now competing, Asafo companies set out to be the first to capture a live and uninjured deer.

The competition between the two companies, while largely ceremonial, is a source of immense pride and prestige during the coming year and as such the hunt is taken very seriously.

A series of beaters precede the two companies and serve to flush deer from hiding places. Once surprised and on the run, the frightened deer are chased down and, with luck, are captured before the day is half done. While the majority of years result in the successful capture of a deer there have been exceptions in which both companies fail to catch anything. Upon the successful capture of a deer the victorious Asafo Company delivers it to the paramount Chief or King of Winneba. There the Chief begins another series of rituals by removing his right sandal and stepping on the deer three times to confirm that it is indeed alive and therefore an acceptable sacrifice to Penkyae Otu. Once confirmed alive and acceptable the deer is paraded south through the streets of Winneba on its way towards the grove of Penkyae Otu where it is kept alive until its eventual sacrifice the next day. With the more formal portion of the festival over, the remainder of Saturday is turned over to the parades, processions and other festivities that the majority of visitors come to see and experience. Again the Asafo Companies take center stage in the whirlwind of parades, processions and celebrations, which overwhelm the typically low-key community.

skinned and slowly roasted. When the cooking is complete and the deer still hot a priest picks off 77 pieces of meat, which serve as a sacrifice to each of the gods of Winneba. The rest of the deer’s body is then presented to Penkyae Otu. After the gods have been fed the Ebisatsir begins.

The Ebisatsir itself is performed in order to reveal what Winneba’s gods have in store for thecommunity over the coming year. Winneba historian Kweku Ampem Adu Bortsie actually describes the ceremony best as a “consultation of the national oracle”. In Bortsie’s words the ceremony begins when three wooden pegs are fixed together in front of the [Penkyae Otu’s] grove. A small pad of soft palm sap is placed on top of the pegs. Around this are drawn straight lines of red ochre, charcoal and white clay, salt and millet. The lodestone (tobo) which is the diety consulted is gently placed on top of the three pegs by the chief priest of Otuano. Before this the priest says a special prayer, and says “Neenyi, your children have made to you their annual sacrifice. If you are happy with the offering we have made to you, do give us a gift, we are hungry!”. Then the priest goes round the god three times, beating a gong gong. If the god is happy with the offering, the tobo rolls off with the palm pad attached. The place where it falls indicates what the year has in store for the people. If the tobo rolls off without the pad, it signifies that the sacrifice has been in vain. When the iron ball falls on the red ochre, it signifies bloody conflicts and disasters. The white clay indicates heat and drought. The charcoal indicates a lot of rainfall; salt, peace and prosperity, and the millet, a bumper harvest. Wherever the tobo falls, it is left to remain at that point for a week, and all can come and see it.

Upon completion of the Ebisatsir and the required week of public viewing the Aboakyer is completed and Winneba returns to normal. Despite its transformation from a local religious and community festival to one that holds national prominence and serves as a major tourist destination the Aboakyer Festival still holds a prominent place in the religious, social and governmental life of Winneba and the Effutu people of coastal Ghana

-“A Cultural History Of Winneba, Ghana” by Daniel Watts, 2014, with contributions from Nana Ghartey, John Jay Baiden Amissah, Oheneba Akwesi Akyeampong, Ben Eshun and everyone else who took time out of their lives to aid in the development of a broader understanding of Winneba.

By Sunday morning much of the merrymaking has ended and the more solemn and final aspects of Aboakyer continue with the Ebisatsir, or “seeing into the future”, ceremony. The captured deer is killed then decapitated,

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We express our gratitude to the Center for Global Innovation and Inquiry at the University of Virginia for their generous grant support which enabled our research and travel. We also acknowledge the Office of the Dean, and Departments of Urban and Environmental Planning and Landscape Architecture in the UVA School of Architecture for their ongoing support.

Reuniting City and Landscape: Winneba, Ghana

Prepared by University of Virginia School of Architecture | Spring 2020