Kumasi Metropolitan Area Research Articles

Narrowing down the drivers of flood risk in medium-sized sub-Saharan African cities: insights from the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area, Ghana

ABSTRACT Literature on the drivers of flooding in sub-Saharan Africa is mostly focused on large and megacities, despite the majority of cities in the region being medium- and small-sized. We conducted a systematic review using 27 peer-reviewed scientific papers selected following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocols using the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA), Ghana, as a case study, and validated the results in a workshop attended by 51 stakeholders. We found that the reported drivers of flood risk in GKMA are land cover changes (61.5%) (e.g. wetlands degradation); governance challenges (16.2%); challenges with drainage (13%); extreme rainfall (6.5%); and apathy towards nature (3.2%). We conclude that floods in GKMA are overwhelmingly human induced through unsustainable urbanization processes that are so rapid that city authorities are unable to properly control them. Also, a holistic understanding of flood risk is missing since majority of the included papers rather used qualitative methodologies.

Growing a Healthy Church: A Theological Reflection on Disability Inclusivity in Ghana

The interplay of medical, social, cultural and religious factors has led to stigma and marginalization of people with disabilities (PWDs) in the Ghanaian context. Observable church beliefs and practices render the relations between so-called abled-bodied people and people with disabilities (PWDs) as an ‘us and them’ relationship. Ironically, the church is supposed to be a place of welcome, restoration and integration. However, with its emphasis on ‘healing before integration,’ the church space has become a place of exclusion for many PWDs. The study argues that the various ways of modelling disability, and the contemporary Ghanaian Christian response to disability are inadequate and lead to the exclusion of PWDs. The study being a qualitative one used both primary and secondary sources. Observations were made at traditional healing centres and healing and revival church services of some churches in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area (KMA) where PWDs were present. Also, journal articles, books, unpublished dissertations, and church documents on the subject matter were consulted. The study points to the fact that a disability-friendly theology must be constructed in order to guide the church to be disability inclusive and hence engender full participation of PWDs in the various ministries of the church in Ghana. The study recommends ways of constructing a disability-inclusive theology in view of the intersection between Akan traditional religion and contemporary Christian response to disability. This article seeks to contribute to the debate on disability inclusivity in the contemporary Ghanaian church, focusing on its importance in promoting comprehensive healing and inclusion for PWDs. Keywords: PWDs (Persons With Disability), Pentecostalism/neo-Pentecostalism, Exclusivity, Inclusivity, Theology of Disabilty.

Innovative Utilization of Information and Communication Technology in Hotels: Perspectives of Managers of Star-Rated Hotels in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area

Even though information and communication technology provide an important role in hotel service and aid service efficacy in customer satisfaction, little literature exists on it in the study area. The study assessed managers’ perception of innovative utilization of ICT in star-rated hotels in the Kumasi metropolitan area. Emphasis was laid on the relevance and reasons for the innovative use of ICT in hotels. A qualitative approach was adopted for the study and 50 hotel managers were sampled. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data solicited. Results of the study established that managers were of the view that the innovative use of ICT in hotel service was relevant and reasons for which the hotels have innovatively used ICT in their service delivery were achieved. However, the innovative use of ICT in hotels may create problems such as high cost of initial investment, cost of training employees and poor employer-employee relations. The study discovered that the hotels have made good use of ICT innovatively to sustain their business. The study unearthed that hotels must be abreast with ICT use as it has become a tool for attracting guests to hotels.

Spatial location of fuel retail outlets and their level of compliance with regulations: lessons from the Kumasi Metropolitan area

Spatial location of fuel retail outlets and their level of compliance with regulations: lessons from the Kumasi Metropolitan area

Geographically induced and the spatially differentiated dimension of flood vulnerability in Greater Kumasi Metropolis, Ghana

ABSTRACT Over the past several years, the constant flooding events and their lethal consequences have reignited the debate on the need for vulnerability assessment of flood-prone communities in urban areas as a flood risk mitigation and adaptation measure. This article focuses on Ghana and uses remotely sensed high-resolution data, and community mapping to assess the flood vulnerability of 442 urban communities of the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA). The Compound Topographic Index and the Shuttle Radar Topographic Mission were used systematically. The results showed that 43% of communities were found in low-risk areas, 30% were in medium-risk areas, and 27% were in high-risk areas. Flood intensity and frequencies were found to be dependent on location relative to slopes and undulating terrain. We argue that the identified flood hazard communities should guide policymakers in proffering specific and targeted interventions toward flood risk reduction and community resilience strategies

Local multilevel governance arrangements for climate change planning and management in Kumasi, Ghana

Institutions play crucial roles in addressing and building resilence to climate risks. Whereas planning for and addressing climate change issues through multilevel goverence (MLG) has become inevitable, there has been a disparity in the attention given to different levels of MLG. The focus of MLG research has predominantly centered around supranational and national levels, with limited empirical studies on subnational MLG governance; hence, this research. This study thus focuses on the city of Kumasi (specifically, Kumasi Metropolitan Area) in Ghana as a case study to examine the role of MLG at the subnational level in climate change planning and management. Seven relevant climate change and local/city planning agencies were sampled purposively for appropriate data. It was clearly revealed that these actors who operate at various levels and jurisdiction, address climate challenges in accordance with their respective primary responsibilities. While such MLG arrangement exists for addressing climate change in the city of Kumasi, there are many challenges that derail effective collaboration and any meaningful outcome within such governance framework. The collaboration among the authorities involved in planning and managing climate change action in Kumasi remains weak coupled with overlaps in their formal roles and responsibilities. Additionally, there is no evidence of any meaningful action being undertaken within such governance arrangement to address climate change contrary to the expectation that MLG should have enhanced interactions in terms of planning for climate change. The study recommends that the MLG framework should encourage learning across different levels and facilitate interactions among various organizations, promoting innovation in climate adaptation and mitigation initiatives.

Antibiotic usage and prevalence of antibiotic residue in broiler chicken in the Kumasi metropolitan area

Antibiotic usage and prevalence of antibiotic residue in broiler chicken in the Kumasi metropolitan area

The impact of social capital on business development in Ghana: Experiences of local-level businesses in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area

Social capital may play a critical role in assisting individuals in leveraging their social networks and group relationships to attain their desired outcomes. We evaluated the influence of social capital on the success of startup enterprises in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area (KMA), utilizing 13 Ghana Enterprise Agency (GEA) clients as participants in this study. The study used interview data and institutional documents, which were conducted using a qualitative technique. Thematic analysis was used in conjunction with content analysis, and the study revealed three distinct forms of social capital—structural, relational, and cognitive that contributed significantly to the business growth of the agency's clients who used its services and supported their businesses through social networks. The study also found that “groups and networks,” “shared norms, beliefs, and duties,” “trust,” and “connectivity” are important elements influencing the KMA's business sustainability. According to the study, the structural, relational, and cognitive elements of social capital are vital in forming group cohesiveness and social relationships, which are critical in supporting the growth of new enterprises in Ghana, particularly in the KMA. The study recommends that efforts to build the resilience of social capital in start-up businesses and create an enabling social network system would support local-level business sustainability. The conclusion drawn from the findings implies that social capital has the potential to foster group cohesion and beneficial social ties to enhance business growth.

Planning for cooler cities in Ghana: Contribution of green infrastructure to urban heat mitigation in Kumasi Metropolis

This study investigates the spatial variability of some remote sensing indices representing built-up areas, vegetation, bareness, and urban heat island (UHI), based on time-series Landsat TM/ETM+ and OLI/TIRS datasets archived for 1980–2020 period from the US Geological Survey’s website for Kumasi Metropolitan Area in Ghana. Modules for Land Use Change Evaluation (MOLUSCE) and Cellular Automata Artificial Neural Network (CA-ANN) algorithms and simulations in QGIS were used to predict future changes (2020–2050) for land-use systems in Kumasi. Findings revealed urbanization/built-up areas (+108.02%) contributed massively to the decline of forest areas (−93.34%) and farmlands/shrubs (−31.53%), thereby making Kumasi lose its once critical green position as the “Garden City of West Africa.” UHI moderately and strongly correlated positively against built-up (R2=0.78, p < 0.0001) and bareness (R2=0.96, p < 0.0001) indices, respectively. By contrast, UHI showed a statistically significant inverse relationship with the vegetative index (R2=0.97, p < 0.0001). Future land-use scenarios revealed more forests, waterbodies, and farmlands/shrubs will be lost, influencing urban temperature and water supply. The multipurpose advantages of urban green space are ingrained in the grand urban model. Contextually, the Metropolis’s resilience has been hampered by inconsistency in the performance of institutional roles, competition for land ownership rights over green areas, and little investments or prioritization of green spaces. An integrated collaborative governance framework is proposed to unify actions, address power crisis and factors that influence governance of green infrastructure, UHI and land cover change.

Health needs of migrant female head porters in Ghana: evidence from the Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi Metropolitan areas

BackgroundIn low-and middle-income countries, migrants are confronted with health needs which affect the promotion of their well-being and healthy lives. However, not much is known about the health needs of migrant female head porters (Kayayei) in Ghana. This study assesses the health needs of migrant female head porters in the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA) and Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA).MethodsThe study adopted a convergent mixed methods design where both qualitative and quantitative data were used. A representative sample size of 470 migrant female head porters was used for the study.ResultsThe study revealed that ante-natal care, post-natal care, treatment of malaria, treatment of diarrhoea diseases, mental health, sexual health, and cervical cancer were health needs of migrant female head porters. The findings showed that participants from the GAMA significantly have greater cervical cancer needs (71.6% vrs 67.1%, p = 0.001) compared to those from the GKMA. Kayeyei from the GKMA significantly have greater mental health needs than those from the GAMA (84.6% vrs 79.2%, p = 0.031). Also, Kayeyei from the GKMA significantly have higher attendance of post-natal care compared to those from the GAMA (99.4% vrs 96.2%, p = 0.013).ConclusionThe findings underscore differential health needs across geographical localities. Based on the findings of the study, specific health needs such as ante-natal care and post-natal care should be included in any health programmes and policies that aim at addressing health needs of migrant female head porters in the two metropolitan areas of Ghana.

Land use and land cover changes implications on biodiversity in the Owabi catchment of Atwima Nwabiagya North District, Ghana

This paper examined land use and land cover (LULC) change and implications to biodiversity in the Owabi catchment of Atwima Nwabiagya North District in Ghana from 1991 to 2021 using remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS), with participatory methods such as interviews and questionnaires with a sample size of 200 participants. The use of supervised classification with maximum likelihood algorithm in QGIS was employed to generate LULC maps of 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021. Molusce Plugin in QGIS was applied to predict probabilities of LULC changes in 10 years (2021–2031). The results showed that high-density forest has disappeared from 1991 to 2021 while built-up has increased and remained the most dominant LULC from 2011 to 2021. There is a continual decline in the number of plant and animal species in and around the Owabi catchment. This can be attributed to the decline of high-density forests and increased built-up in the study area through human actions. The study identified the influence of human activities as the key forces of LULC change to biodiversity loss. This problem stemmed from the taste for housing and trading activities in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area which has resulted in an increasing demand for settlement because of its closeness to Kumasi and its environs. The study recommends that stringent preventive measures should be developed and enforced by various stakeholders including the Forestry Commission, Ghana Water Company Limited, Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the District/Municipal Assemblies to safeguard the forest from human activities. This recommendation will help these agencies to keep abreast with changes in LULC in the various communities and factors such as changes during the planning of the communities.

“The Health Caregivers Did Not Care about Me after the Loss”: Maternal Experiences of Perinatal Loss in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area, Ghana

One of the common undesirable outcomes of pregnancy is perinatal loss. Healthcare systems strive to reduce the incidence of perinatal loss but typically little attention is on the experiences of bereaved mothers following perinatal loss, particularly in low and middle-income countries where such deaths are common. This research explored the lived experiences of mothers with perinatal loss in the Kumasi metropolis, Ghana. A qualitative design was used to explore the experiences of nine (9) bereaved mothers from the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital’s postnatal ward and the Mother and Baby Unit. Data were collected through face-to-face interviews using a semi-structured interview guide, audio-recorded, and thematically analyzed. One major finding was that mothers restricted mourning their dead babies based on fear of recurrent perinatal loss and traditional beliefs on delayed return to fertility. Mothers blamed healthcare providers for their loss due to their concerns about care received. Gaps in communication flow from healthcare professionals to bereaved mothers were commonly identified as mothers struggled to make meaning of their loss and coped with cultural restrictions and beliefs. Healthcare professionals must explore mothers’ concerns and “gut-feelings,” and pay attention to their communication needs following perinatal loss.

Insouciant, powerless or helpless: An assessment of the factors that contribute to the non-compliance with the regulations that protect ecologically sensitive areas in the Greater Kumasi Metropolis

The complexities involved in the urbanization process and its effect on environmental sustainability and city aesthetics has been extensively researched in the conventional literature. The rapid urban growth in countries in the global south coupled with weak development control has led to the encroachment of environmentally sensitive areas. Yet, little is known among scholars on whether regulatory agencies have given up on the encroachment of ecologically sensitive areas to continue or they are powerless. This paper through a qualitative research approach explores the factors that influence non-compliance with land use and ecosystem regulations from the perspective of relevant stakeholders. Through face-to-face interviews, 19 participants from eleven (11) regulatory institutions in the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area were interviewed. The findings of the study showed that several factors ranging from political, social, and economic adversely affect the ability of the regulatory agencies to effectively enforce the regulations that protect environmentally sensitive areas such as freshwater and wetlands. For example, in terms of political factors, the study showed that, the powerful nature of political actors in Ghana's democratic dispensation coupled with their continuous interference in the enforcement of regulations and the lack of sustained political will continue to threaten the sustainable management of environmentally sensitive areas. Socially and culturally, there is a shift from communal management of ecological resources to a formal public institutional management approach. Inadequate financial support, logistical constraints, and unavailability of technical experts and technology were economic factors that influence institutional non-compliance with land use and ecosystem regulations in Ghana The researchers conclude that the inability of the policymakers and the relevant authorities to address these political, social, and economic barriers confronting the regulatory agencies will continue to make them powerless when it comes to the enforcement of the regulations that protect environmentally sensitive areas.

Socio-Economic Factors Contributing to Crashes Involving Motor Tricycles in Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area, Ghana

Commercial passenger motor tricycles are a recent addition to the vehicle mix in urban areas of Ghana having been introduced in about 2015. While they serve a good purpose and fill a niche in the transport market in Ghanaian cities, this mode of transport is characterized by several road crashes that sometimes result in fatalities. Consequently, the objective of this study was to understand social and economic factors as well as motor tricycles’ operational characteristics and related crashes. A detailed study of this mode of transport in the study area revealed that the socio-economic factors that contribute to crashes involving commercial motor tricycles include the revenue per day, amount spent on fuel per day, and operating days, but with a negative relationship between daily revenue and amount spent on fuel and crash severity. Operational characteristics studied revealed a general improvement in operators’ level of education, a situation where owner-operators are more careful with their vehicles, patrons’ preference for new tricycles, and relatively good returns from operations of these vehicles. Operators also work for long hours and on all days of the week. Further analysis of the data revealed that there are major safety concerns. While the Building and Road Research Institute (BRRI) reports a fatality share of 28% with an annual increase of 3.9% for motorcycle-related crashes in Ghana, the National Road Safety Authority, in the year 2010, indicated a crash rate of more than 50% which is yet to be updated. Recent data for 2019 published by the BRRI estimate a rate of 8.15 fatalities per 10,000 vehicles with a total of 829 total crashes in 2019 for motorcycles, tricycles, and rickshaws and 2.7 motorcycle fatalities per 10,000 vehicles. Similar data are yet to be estimated for motorcycles and commercial tricycles in the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area. However, our study revealed a crash rate of 67% for motor tricycle operators in the study area on account of an increase in population, low initial capital cost, and the ability to maneuver in inaccessible areas. It is recommended that, in view of the preponderance of passenger tricycles in the study area, massive educational campaigns involving all stakeholders be pursued.

Reflections on urbanisation, land supply and the Ghanaian physical planning system towards sustaining cemetery land use in Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area

Urbanisation and land supply are real problems in many urban centres. Due to the concentration of people in towns and cities beyond their capacities and lateral urban expansion into the peripheries, municipal facilities and resources, particularly land, are constrained or overstretched to engender unfavourable competition among land uses. In this way, less economic yielding land use like cemeteries are competed out. This study, therefore, explored the trio of urbanisation, land supply and how the Ghanaian physical planning system contribute to sustaining cemetery land use in the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area of Ghana. Having been underpinned by the interpretive research paradigm, the study correspondingly used qualitative research methodological approaches including in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions to collect data through audio tape recording from thirty (30) interviews which were transcribed and analysed. Findings of the study include encroachment on cemeteries primarily by traditional leaders for economic gains, acute shortage of burial spaces in the metropolis’ cemeteries leading to congestion and re-use of old graves with shallow depths in order not to disturb earlier interments. Unfortunately too, the physical planning system does not provide for detailed and conscious planning for cemeteries to sustain them. To help deal with the situation, policy measures have been suggested.

Auto-Rickshaw Repair, Servicing and Maintenance for Youth-in-Entrepreneurship in Kumasi

Knowledge and skill acquisition is a driver to the socioeconomic growth of a country, yet economic challenges, rapid urbanization, and migration have contributed to youth unemployment in Ghana. The introduction of auto-rickshaws in 2015 has increased access coverage to transportation, augmented existing public transportation, and created avenues for both operators’ and mechanics’ employment through co-ordinated skill development actions to empower youth-in-entrepreneurship. However, these have not been fully utilized and developed by the Government. The study seeks to identify basic needs of auto-rickshaw mechanics in establishing a sustainable repair and maintenance enterprise, identify challenges confronting auto-rickshaw mechanics, and analyze activities of the youth who repair, maintain, and service auto-rickshaws within the formal and informal sectors for sustainable enterprises. The study is underpinned by both resource-based and human capital theories: education and apprenticeship bothers on human capital theory, while entrepreneurial experience, shop space, business duration, and so on projects the resource-based theory. Questionnaires were administered to 237 auto-rickshaw mechanics and interviews were conducted for some selected auto-rickshaw mechanics to investigate challenges in the business in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area through a clustered and systematic sampling technique. Data analyzed using SPSS v.26 indicated a very youthful auto-rickshaw mechanic population with low educational level that operates without licensed garages. About 68.8% of the mechanics possessed some form of apprenticeship training, though they are not specific to auto-rickshaw repair and maintenance. Further, 71.7% auto-rickshaw mechanics do not keep records of their activities and there is a general lack of entrepreneurial skills among them. Lack of financial support from financial institutions was found to be a major challenge. The binary logistic regression model retained and confirmed six out of the seven predictors, including sex, age, education, marital status, duration of repairs and/or maintenance, shop space, tools and equipment, and mechanical training, as significant contributing factors to entrepreneurship training offered to enterprises within the Kumasi metropolis. The study recommends the urgent need to upgrade the technical and entrepreneurial skills of auto-rickshaw mechanics through the establishment of targeted and result-oriented training centers for better efficiency. The authors further recommend financial institutions to consider giving financial support to auto-rickshaw mechanics to help sustain their businesses.

Modelling of segment level travel time on urban roadway arterials using floating vehicle and GPS probe data

With the increasing traffic congestion levels on urban arterials, an essential step to tackling this challenge is to effectively quantify it and understand how it relates to its contributing factors. Although researchers have proposed models that relate travel time with several traffic and roadway factors for quantifying congestion especially in the Western world, most of these models lack the predictive accuracy for arterials in low-income countries due to differences in roadway and roadside interference factors, heterogeneous traffic flow, and others. A number of them do not incorporate delays from factors including on-street parking activities. Additionally, some existing models are complex in structure and require several parameters which may not be available in many low-income countries such as Ghana or may be expensive to collect. This study aimed at exploring a simple model for predicting travel time which will capture the contributing factors of congestion typical of low-income country arterial road environment and flow characteristics using a multiple linear regression model. Using moving observer method, traffic and roadway data were collected from eight arterial roadways in the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area for modeling travel time at the segment level. The fitted model that captures the impact of factors including on-street parking, access density, traffic density, and segment downstream bounding conditions on travel time will aid decision making by transport planners on the factors to consider to mitigate congestion. The model demonstrates how inadequate enforcement of on-street parking restrictions on arterial roadways exacerbates congestion during periods of high demand.

Consumers' preferences and willingness to pay for domestic chicken cut parts in Ghana: evidence from the Kumasi metropolis

PurposeThis study aims to analyse consumers' preferences for domestic chicken cut parts and the premium they are willing to pay for the various parts using data from a contingent valuation survey of individual chicken meat consumers in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area of Ghana.Design/methodology/approachThe willingness to pay premiums are obtained using the double-bounded dichotomous choice approach. Determinants of the consumers' willingness to pay amounts are identified through a multivariate Tobit regression analysis.FindingsThe study finds that the wing is the most preferred chicken part by the consumers followed by the thighs. All consumers who express interest in a particular domestic chicken cut part are willing to pay a premium. Age, sex, years of formal education, household size and income level of the consumers as well as convenience, product availability and perceived wholesomeness of the product are identified as the key factors that influence the willingness to pay amounts.Research limitations/implicationsThe findings and recommendations of this study could serve as a guide to domestic poultry meat producers and investors in Ghana and other developing countries on how to process or package the meat for the market or consumers. This could further contribute to policy formulation regarding the development of the domestic poultry meat industry.Originality/valueThe uniqueness of this study is seen in the contributions it makes to the literature on consumer preferences and willingness to pay for chicken cut parts from a developing country perspective where the market for these products is virtually non-existent.

An assessment of the health sustainability of sanitation in Ghana: A quantitative analysis

The present study aims to assess the improvements of sanitation system of Kumasi metropolitan area. Sanitation conditions in Africa remain awful with approximately 20% of the population reported to still engage in open defecation in Sub‐Saharan Africa, despite major improvements in other climes of the world. In Ghana, the impacts of poor sanitation systems range from negatively impacting natural resources water quality, to causing health threats to the populations involved. Using health as selected sustainable sanitation, this research assesses reported cases of diseases and deaths associated with unsatisfactory sanitation from 2008 to 2015. Both primary and secondary data were employed. The primary data was collected through interview with key informants by purposive sampling. Quantitative data were analyzed via primary descriptive statistical methods. Results indicate slight improvements in the sanitation system. Our findings suggest that the number of diseases is high due to poor sanitation. However, statistics of deaths are minimal, and these were ascribed to improvements in health care in Ghana. The study has offered recommendations in order to improve sanitation system within the metropolis toward more sustainability. The research is significant because theory developers, researchers, policy makers, and practitioners can make use of its findings to tackle the problems of sustainable sanitation since theories and practices of sustainable sanitation are constantly evolving.

Factors influencing household energy choices in the Kumasi Metropolitan area of Ghana

Reforms in the energy sector are expected to bring about essential efciency gains, which could result in energy diversifcation and welfare improvements among households. However, there are other unintended social and environmental consequences associated with the process. One signifcant social concern is the likely impact on how low-income families access new energy. The study used a cross-sectional design to undertake a comparative analysis of domestic energy choices. Data was collected from 405 households’ decision makers. An interview schedule and a guide were used for the data collection. The results showed that modern fuels are by far the most predominant source of energy for high and medium class residential households in Kumasi. However, residents in low-class areas preferred to use biomass fuel as their primary energy choice. Contextual variations revealed that general factors such as afordability and accessibility of energy source were exogenous determinants of energy choice. The fndings of the study also lend support to the energy ladder hypothesis that household income is a signifcant determinant of household energy choice. Further, social and demographic factors are critical determinants of cooking fuel type in residential zones. The study recommends the promotion of modern fuels through developing dependable energy distribution systems, and public education campaigns by the Energy Commission of Ghana.