(a)

Effects of land degradation in Ghana

1. Loss of soil fertility
2. Soil erosion
3. Destruction of plant species/Vegetation deforestation
4. Destruction of animal species
5. Desertification/changes in soil structure
6. Food shortage/hunger/famine
7. Flooding
8. Rural urban migration
9. Drying up of water bodies
10. Global warming
11. Pollution and silting of water bodies
12. Destruction of the environment
13. Air pollution
14. Diseases and infections
15. Sinking of the land (subsidence)

(b)

Measures to tackle the menace of land degradation in Ghana

1. Embarking on national afforestation programme
2. Public education of the negative effects of degrading
3. Legislation/by-laws to protect the land in the country
4. Creation of forest reserves across the country
5. Establishment of woodlots/reforestation/reafforestation
6. Modern agricultural practices
7. Recycling waste products
8. Encouraging deep shaft mining
9. Enforcement of environmental laws
10. Land reclamation/refiling of pits in the mining areas
11. Good drainage system in the country
12. Establishment of environmental research institutions in the country
13. Regular desilting of water bodies/drains in the country

(a)

Effects of land degradation in Ghana

1. Loss of soil fertility
2. Soil erosion
3. Destruction of plant species/Vegetation deforestation
4. Destruction of animal species
5. Desertification/changes in soil structure
6. Food shortage/hunger/famine
7. Flooding
8. Rural urban migration
9. Drying up of water bodies
10. Global warming
11. Pollution and silting of water bodies
12. Destruction of the environment
13. Air pollution
14. Diseases and infections
15. Sinking of the land (subsidence)

(b)

Ways in which the improper use of the resources of the environment affect the survival of man

a)

b)

Elements of social environment

1. School
2. Community
3. Markets
4. Family
5. Workplaces
6. Church/mosque/shrine
7. Neighbourhood
8. Language
9. Festivals
10. Music and dance/creative arts
11. Dressing

c)

Ways by which the physical environment influences the activities of man

1. Seasonal changes affect agricultural production - rainy and dry seasons
2. Geology determines the nature of mining activities
3. Topography of land influences road construction
4. Topography of land determines farming and economic activities
5. Weather conditions influence constructions of buildings
6. Soil and topography determines food production and diet
7. Dressing and dress codes are determined by the weather
8. Occupation and trade activities are determined by closeness to arable land and water bodies
9. Settlement patterns are determined by the topography
10. Types of soil and vegetation determines resources for creative artworks
11. Physical environment influences leisure and tourism

(a)

Waste management is the proper way of disposing of waste substances (unused or discarded resources or substances) which are created through human activities without creating an environmental nuisance or problem. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with regulation and monitoring of the waste management process.

(b)

Effects of uncontrolled waste disposal in Ghana

1. Increase in air pollution
2. Increase in water pollution
3. Increase in land degradation
4. Development of swamps
5. Spread of diseases such as cholera, dysentery, typhoid, etc.
6. Destruction of the vegetation
7. Flooding
8. Destruction of aquatic life
9. Breeding of mosquitoes
10. Dirty and unhygienic environment

(a)

Desertification is the process by which fertile land becomes desert/bare typically as a result of drought, deforestation or inappropriate agriculture practices.

OR

Desertification is the process of destroying the biological potentials of a land which leads to the destruction of vegetation and renders the land less useful or infertile to support plant growth.

(b)

Human activities that can cause desertification in Ghana

1. Over-cultivation/over-cropping
2. Indiscriminate bush fire
3. Mining activities
4. Deforestation/felling of trees
5. Poor irrigation methods
6. Sand wining for construction purposes
7. Urbanization
8. Overgrazing
9. Wrong/over application of agro-chemicals

(a)

Environmental degradation refers to the gradual process by which the natural state and quality of the surroundings are destroyed as a result of human and animal activities such as farming, mining, logging, overgrazing, among others to the extent that survival of living things is negatively affected.

(b)

Effects of environmental degradation on your community

1. Drying up of water bodies
2. Creation of pits and holes as breeding grounds for mosquitoes
3. Destruction of acquatic life and water bodies
4. Noise pollution leading to hearing disorders
5. Deformities of lives
6. Air pollution
7. Spread of diseases
8. Floods due to improper layout of settlement
9. Global warming due to the depletion of the ozone layer
10. Destruction of vegetation
11. Unreliable rainfall pattern
12. Loss of aesthetic value of the environment