A sustainable cities strategy for Ghana: greener, resilient, more inclusive, and prosperous urban growth

Why does the sustainability of Ghana’s cities matter? Ghana’s rapid urbanization over the past three decades has coincided with rapid GDP growth that has helped to create jobs, increase human capital, decrease poverty, and improve living conditions. However, its cities are not equipped to service their growing populations, and unplanned urbanization and a lack of integrated spatial planning has reduced the efficiency of cities and resulted in a proliferation of informal settlements. As the concentration of people, assets, and infrastructure in cities increases, so does their exposure to climate risks. And despite Ghana’s currently low levels of greenhouse gas emissions, its urban centers are trending towards high-emission growth models. If unaddressed, climate change has the potential to hamper the development gains that typically come with urbanization, such as innovation, productivity, better jobs, and enhanced well-being. In the context of rapid urbanization in Ghana, especially in lower capacity secondary cities, and the huge infrastructure investment needs, the government must act now to lay the foundation
for greener, more inclusive, and sustainable cities before it is too late. A sustainable cities strategy
is therefore imperative in providing directions on sector focus, investments, and capacity building
to address the diverse urban sustainability challenges in Ghanaian cities. How sustainable are Ghana’s cities? This Strategy measures sustainability along three dimensions the enabling Urban System, People & Economy, and Environment each of which has four building blocks. This approach is premised on the idea that city systems (infrastructure, governance, institutions, etc.) must function well to deliver positive results for people, the economy, and the environment. Over the long term, these positive results should contribute towards more resilient, just, and competitive cities.

source:
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/e1341100-359a-45a3-87ad-ac5ac9aa7c46