A framework for prioritising capability mechanisms for environmental disaster risk minimisation within Ghana's petroleum sector

Acheampong, Gerald

Abstract

Petroleum disasters, such as the 1988 Piper Alpha incident, and more recently, the Gulf of Mexico Macondo well blowout, have left a legacy of environmental impacts with catastrophic effects. While these events evoked global apprehension and public outcry, there appears to be lesser proportion of concern towards similar events within the developing world, for examples, African jurisdictions, such as Angola, Sudan and Nigeria’s Niger delta. Reflecting on weak environmental governance systems and institutional capacity, which has bedevilled Ghana’s gold mining and downstream petroleum sectors, there has been extensive stakeholder apprehension over the current state of Ghana’s institutional capacity to deal with potential factors of petroleum related disaster, and to pre-empt threatening incidents. This study, therefore, aims to establish the critical underlying disaster risk factors and the related institutional capability needs of Ghana’s nascent petroleum sector, and to prioritise these mechanisms for the development of a framework towards improving public sector capacity, for minimizing environmental disaster risks within the petroleum sector of Ghana.

A sequential multiphase approach, pursuing a multi-methodological strategy consistent with pragmatist philosophy was adopted in a four-phase process of investigation. The process begun with a systematic review of petroleum disaster literature (n=90), which revealed key underlying risk factors (12), and a range of capability improvement mechanisms (16). This was followed by a literature verification/ validation process, together with a mapping of institutional structures for addressing the underlying causes of petroleum disaster, via the instrumentation of recognised academic and industry professionals (n=12 experts). Next, a survey was deployed to key industry related stakeholders. This was aimed at a scoring process, towards ranking and prioritising: (i) the twelve key underlying risk factors at the root of petroleum environmental disasters, and (ii) the sixteen critical capability mechanisms relevant for addressing identified risks. The analysis of survey data (n=78 participants) and prioritization process was facilitated by application of statistical testing, including the one-sample T-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and also, through deployment of the Weighted Average Scoring (WASi) protocol; to attain a robust ranking of critical elements surveyed, and underpin the creation of a Capability Improvement Framework (CIF). Finally, semi–structured interviews were conducted to gauge opinions on the usefulness of the CIF towards achieving environmental disaster risk minimization (EDRM) goals within the petroleum sector of Ghana.

Findings from this study reveal, addressing: ‘risk management shortcomings’, ‘emergency preparedness planning challenges’ and ‘socio-environmental accountability’ are the most critical disaster risk minimisation indices; whilst improving ‘risk management’, ‘early detection and warning’, and ‘legal/regulatory mechanisms’ are the topmost capability interventions to achieve EDRM. It is proposed that, the CIF established from this study, could support policy, strategy and decision making towards prioritisation and configuring critical mechanisms of public sector institutional capability, to attain the goal of EDRM, within Ghana’s petroleum sector. The study concludes by suggesting direction towards the critical need to improve capability in the more technical and governance-oriented capability mechanisms comparative to the traditional functions of disaster response, for public sector institutions to achieve EDRM goals within Ghana’s upstream petroleum sector.

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jan 24, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 17, 2022
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/8661750
• Award Date: Aug 17, 2022