According to Ghana’s 2022 Voluntary National Review(VNR) Report on the Sustainable Development Goals(SDG) implementation, there were 8.8 million people living in slums in 2020, up from 5.5 million in 2017.
According to the research, which was prepared and released by the National Development Planning Commission, the amount reflects a rise of around 60%. (NDPC).
The United Nations (UN) Programme on Human Settlements defines a slum as “a contiguous settlement where the inhabitants are characterized as having inadequate housing and basic services.”
It claims that these residents have one or more “household deprivations,” including a lack of access to improved water sources, improved sanitation facilities, adequate living spaces, durable housing, and tenure security.
There are approximately 23 slums in Ghana, 11 of which are in the Greater Accra Region, according to the research. Accra, Tema-Ashaiman, Kumasi, Tamale, and Takoradi were mentioned as the main urban slum-dwelling locations.
Highlights from the research were presented at a regional dissemination workshop on Friday by Dr. Richard Bofah, Ghana’s SDGs National Coordinator and Chief Analyst at the NDPC’s Development Policy Division.
The workshop provided participants with the chance to review Ghana’s second SDGs VNR report, which was released at the national level last month. Participants included Development Planning Officers, representatives of youth, children, women’s groups, and people with disabilities.
The report, which was presented at the UN High-Level Political Forum (HLPF) in July of this year, highlighted the nation’s achievements, difficulties, and lessons learned in putting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development into practice.
The issue of slums falls under SDG Goal 11 entitled “Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”
Target 11.3 states, “By 2030, enhance inclusive and sustainable urbanization and capacity for participatory, integrated and sustainable human settlement planning and management in all countries.”
Despite an increase in the number of slum dwellers, the percentage of slum dwellers in the country’s population decreased from 39.3 percent in 2017 to 28.2 percent in 2020, according to the research.
Despite the government’s efforts to alleviate the national housing shortage, which the Population and Housing Census (PHC) estimates at 1.8 million, the report said the rise in the population of slums was a cause for concern.
Regarding the type of dwellings, the survey found that due to a lack of available housing in urban areas, some households have taken to sleeping in open spaces or in temporary constructions like metal shipping containers and kiosks.
“Data from the 2021 Population and Housing Census (PHC) indicate that about 5.6 percent of urban housing units comprise metal containers, kiosks, wooden structures, uncompleted buildings, living quarters attached to offices/shops among others,” it said.
According to the VNR Report, the number of residential constructions increased by 72.8 percent over the previous ten years, and structural quality and durability improved as more buildings opted to construct their exterior walls out of concrete rather than mud or clay.
Speaking about the nation’s progress toward achieving the SDGs, Dr. Bofah noted that while the nation was making strides, more work needed to be done with assistance from all stakeholders if we were to make the 2030 target.
