Seeing the house from the environment: Environmental concerns of informal/slum settlement in Accra, Ghana
Author
Antwi, Edward
Term
10. term
Education
Publication year
2008
Pages
107
Abstract
Rapid urbanization in Accra, Ghana has intensified environmental and public health concerns linked to municipal solid waste. This thesis examines why solid waste management remains persistently ineffective, particularly in slum and informal settlements where service coverage is limited. Using stakeholder interviews and questionnaires, the study analyzes Accra’s waste system within an institutional framework to understand how rules, capacities, and actor roles shape outcomes. Findings point to systemic institutional weaknesses—reliance on a municipal-centric model, limited resources and capacity, uneven service provision favoring higher-income areas, and insufficient recognition of the many actors involved—that leave low-income communities underserved and encourage indiscriminate disposal into drains, streets, and streams. The thesis outlines how these constraints inhibit effective and efficient collection, disposal, and recycling, and highlights the need to address them to improve environmental quality and well-being in the city.
Den hurtige urbanisering i Accra, Ghana har forstærket miljø- og sundhedsproblemer knyttet til kommunalt fast affald. Specialet undersøger, hvorfor affaldshåndtering fortsat er ineffektiv, særligt i slum- og informelle bosættelser, hvor service dækningen er begrænset. Ved hjælp af interviews med interessenter og spørgeskemaer analyseres byens affaldssystem i en institutionel kontekst for at forstå, hvordan regler, kapacitet og aktørroller påvirker resultaterne. Resultaterne peger på gennemgående institutionelle svagheder—afhængighed af en kommunecentreret model, begrænsede ressourcer og kapacitet, ulige service der favoriserer højere indkomstområder samt utilstrækkelig anerkendelse af de mange involverede aktører—som efterlader lavindkomstsamfund underforsynede og fremmer vilkårlig bortskaffelse i dræn, gader og vandløb. Specialet skitserer, hvordan disse begrænsninger hæmmer effektiv indsamling, bortskaffelse og genanvendelse, og fremhæver behovet for at afhjælpe dem for at forbedre miljøkvalitet og trivsel i byen.
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