Accra, March 17, Ghanadot/GNA - Population and Development
Fact Sheet Five has projected Ghana’s population to increase
to 62.9 per cent by 2025 from 43.8 per cent in 2000 if
effective strategies were not developed to prevent the rapid
growth of population and urbanization.
The challenges posed by the rapid urbanization in areas of
unemployment; poor sanitation and crime could also threaten the
aspirations of the country to reach its middle income status by
2020.
Ms. Sherry Ayittey, Minister of Environment Science and
Technology said this when she launched the fact sheet on Tuesday
in Accra.
The paper, prepared by the National Population Council (NPC) in
September 2008 is on “Population and Urbanization”.
The fact sheet looks at the global situation, Ghana’s situation,
causes of urbanization, its problems, opportunities of
urbanization and the way forward.
Ms Ayittey said problems such as unplanned settlement, poor
housing conditions, congestion, air and water pollution,
unsanitary living conditions must be addressed with all
seriousness to avert the situation.
Statistics show that there has been a rapid growth of urban
population with an increase from 23.1 per cent in 1960 to 43.8
per cent in 2000.
Citing examples of the development issues, the Minister said
about 42 per cent of households obtained water from unprotected
sources whilst 16 per cent used boreholes.
With disposal of solid waste, 25 per cent of the population in
urban areas dump discriminately, 58 per cent either use public
dumping facilities or resort to burning and burying waste at
their backyards.
On household waste, about 95 per cent households dispose their
liquid waste into unapproved places nationwide.
Ms Ayittey expressed concern about building permits being issued
for the construction of houses without toilet facilities though
there was a government policy that insisted that houses in towns
and cities must have toilet facilities.
“Lack of implementation and supervision by responsible agencies
have resulted in filth that has engulfed our cities, towns and
even our villages”, she added.
She said the ministry will work with the district assemblies to
ensure that the practice was minimized and dealt with
completely.
Mr Steve Grey, Deputy Director of NPC who presented the fact
sheet said localities in Ghana with a population of 5,000 or
more were classified as urban. He said rural-urban migration was
the main cause of the rapid increase of growth population with
the youth being the most affected.
This, he said would have serious repercussions on agricultural
production if systematic action was not taken to effectively
improve the management of urban and rural phenomenon and to
capitalize on the poverty reduction development opportunities
offered by urbanization.
Mr Grey noted that despite the challenges posed by urbanization,
it offered opportunities such as availability of labour for
industrial development, market for agricultural produce, well
planned centres that provided social services and the provision
of conducive environment for commerce.
He noted that with the kind of rapid growth expected in the
urban areas in the next 25 years, government and municipal
authorities would have to ensure that the situation was taken
into consideration in the planning of cities.
“Well planned and orderly urban centres would provide an
opportunity to offer social services to a large population in a
cost-effective manner”.
He called for effective data for planning purposes for all
sectors of the economy and entreated decision makers and policy
makers to make good use of the data for comprehensive policy and
development implementation.
Mr Makane Kane, UNFPA Country Representative expressed UNFPA’s
continuous partnership with NPC and Ghana Statistical Service in
making reliable data available to ensure efficient analysis of
the country’s situation as well as monitoring and evaluation of
programmes.
The Government Statistician, Dr. Grace Bediako, who chaired
stressed the need to strengthen partnership and more
collaboration with research to produce more fact sheets to fill
the gap in knowledge.
She said advocacy was the key in ensuring that the fact sheets
were known and understood by all and urged all stakeholders to
play their respectful roles in the use of the information.
GNA
