Land Usage Management in Informal Settlements in Kumasi, Ghana. A Case Study of Asawase Township

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2017 in the subject Geography / Earth Science - Demographics, Urban Management, Planning, grade: 62, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, language: English, abstract: The high rate of urbanization and fast growing population of cities have impacted on land management. The main objective of this study which focused on Asawase being the first estate that was built in Kumasi was to know how land is managed in informal settlements. The study analyzed how land can be effectively managed in Asawase, challenges of land management and also the legal and institutional arrangements backing management of land and to come out with recommendation on how land can be managed effectively in Kumasi., Ghana The study employed the cross sectional research design in which the case study method was used. The research made use of the participatory approach in order to have diverse views on the research topi.The research adopted the use of questionnaires and interviews to collect data from slum dwellers and institutions in charge of managing land within Asawase such as Town and Country Planning Department(TCPD), Lands Commission(LC), Asokore Mampong Municipal Assembly (AMMA). From the study, it was observed that, the conditions in Asawase had deteriorated considerably leading to poor sanitation, substandard of housing, lack of basic services and facilities and low generating income activities. It was further established that, the institutions in charge of managing land face a lot of challenges in undertaking their duties, some challenges are, political influence, delay in the release of funds, failure in reviewing plans and inadequate logistics, land litigation and disputes were also major challenges in the managing of land in Asawase. Efficient land administration in urban areas could promote development of communities and enhance socioeconomic growth. Lastly, human resource and logistics should be adequate to make land service delivery efficient and make clients comfortable in their transactions with the institutions.