Urban Growth and Livelihood Transformations on the Fringes of African Cities: A Case Study of Changing Livelihoods in Peri-Urban Accra

Abstract

In recent times, a growing body of research has drawn attention to the changing interface and interdependence between urban and rural spaces in Africa. This includes studies on physical, environmental, socio-demographic, economic and other transformations in the peri-urban zone. However, little is known about how residents of peri-urban communities adapt their livelihoods to these transformations. Using the case study approach, and by applying the sustainable livelihood framework as an analytical tool, we have explored the livelihood strategies adopted by the residents of four communities in peri-urban Accrain response to the city's physical expansion. We find that urban growth has differential effects on peri-urban livelihoods, thereby creating winners and losers. Some residents, by reason of their possession of, or control over, various forms of livelihood assets, are able to utilize opportunities offered by urban growth to devise livelihood strategies to enhance their wellbeing. Those who suffer adverse effects are mainly resource-poor farm households who, apart from not having the wherewithal to take advantage of opportunities created by urban growth, lose their farm-based livelihoods as a result of the conversion of land from agricultural to non-agricultural uses. We therefore recommend that local government authorities should incorporate peri-urban livelihood issues into their planning activities.

Periurban Transformations in the Global South and Their Impact on Water-Based Livelihoods

“…Water vending received most attention so far among the different emerging water based livelihoods, which form the third cluster, identified in the literature review. In the sparse literature a diversity of water-based livelihoods is described [30], e.g., polluting small-scale industries like dyeing [95], brick making [96], food vending [97] or tourism [98]. In many cases, industrial production and services require water, often polluting it such that it is no longer feasible for irrigation.…”

How to Classify the Urban Area? A Perspective of Multi-Criteria Approach in the Context of Hyper-Diversity in Settlements in Ghana

“…As noted by Potts (2018), the precise number of urban areas is not easily ascertained. Quite a number of urban remote sensing studies (Oduro et al 2014, Angel et al 2016, Appiah et al 2017, Møller-Jensen et al 2020 have revealed a significant urban growth and steady increases in the urban settlements' patterns in Ghana. However, doubts have been casted on the data on the country's level of urbanization as well as on the quantum of urban areas being produced by various studies (Potts 2018, Møller-Jensen et al 2020.…”

Unravelling the Frontiers of Urban Growth: Spatio-Temporal Dynamics of Land-Use Change and Urban Expansion in Greater Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana

“…Furthermore, the eastward and the westward spatial distribution patterns and the low-density sprawling development illustrated by this study imply wasteful expenditure on basic services. Several studies [19,25,62,69,70] have shown that the development and the expansion of urban areas inevitably precede planning and service provision. [62] reported a common phenomenon where new housing developments precede state-led infrastructure planning and service provisions.…”

“…Quite a number of studies [16][17][18][19][20] have analyzed and in some cases projected the spatio-temporal patterns of land-use change and urban expansion in GAMA (i.e., macro-scale). However, none of these studies analyzed the spatio-temporal patterns of urban expansion in different directions and districts (i.e., micro-scale).…”