Developing competencies for communities impacted by dams

Jones Lewis Arthur, Sunyani Polytechnic
Irene Akyaa Yeboah, NedCo, Ghana

The paper assesses the impacts of Bui dam and resettlement on community competence (CC), traditional leadership, and on the management of Bui National Park. For each of these questions, further analysis was undertaken to assess the role of resettlement, ethnicity, age, and gender. Data was gathered through multiple methods. In the design of a survey, administered to 339 respondents across thirteen communities, document analysis and interviews were conducted. Interviews were conducted for 23 key informants and used for data collection. ANOVA and Scheffe test scores were used to assess Dam impacts . Regression analysis was also applied to test predictions for ethnicity, relocate, gender and age. Training opportunities in CC failed to meet the core needs and focus of the impacted communities. Training opportunities did not improve traditional leadership, and management of Bui National Park. Ethnicity and relocate are weak predictors of community competence but gender and age did not.