Quantifying urban growth in Accra Metropolitan area (Ama), Ghana and exploring causal mechanisms
Otoo, Emmanuel A., Duncan J. Whyatt and Uwem E. Ite
This paper quantifies the spatial pattern of urban growth in Accra from 1985 to the present using a time-series of geometrically corrected remotely sensed imagery. Change detection techniques were applied to identify areas that had undergone rapid transformation as a result of urban encroachment. The next phase of the research involved a field survey using questionnaires, formal and informal interviews, and focus group discussions to explore and understand the nature of the spatial growth processes in these areas and how best to manage them. Consequently, it was identified that the demand for and access to land is the main cause of urban growth within these areas. In addition, the pluralistic system of land tenure coupled with the overlapping and duplication of roles by Government institutions has also created a cumbersome process to land title registration. Subsequently, people bypass these registration processes and develop their land. However, education, land reform and legal amendment to existing land laws are suggested as ways to address the present problems identified.
Event: 5th FIG Regional Conference for Africa : Promoting Land Administration and Good Governance
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