DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING

FACULTY OF ART AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT

KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

PL 251 PLANNING WORKSHOP II

CHARACTERISTICS AND NATURE OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT PROBLEMS IN GHANA

ASSESSMENT 3

NAME INDEX NUMBER

OPOKU MENSAH 7999419

WORKSHOP TUTORS

DR.J.K OWUSU–ANSAH

DR(MRS) DINA AFEI AND DR OWUSU AMPONSAH

TEACHING ASSISTANTS

MS AKUA AMPONSAH

MR. JIM AMBAZU

23 RD MARCH, 2021

INTRODUCTION

Rural people have extensive knowledge about their environments, and about the sustainable
use of marginal areas. However, many people are being squeezed by a number of interacting
processes. Economic and political factors, such as the privatization of common property
resources and inappropriate land use policies, can negatively impact rural people. Broad
demographic changes, such as population growth, resettlement, migration, urbanization and
movement of refuges can also impact rural communities.

Rural households often face difficult trade- offs decision making about natural resources, as
they seek to balance the conflicting demands of managing the surrounding environment with
the economic survival of the family.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN RURAL, URBAN AND PERI-URBAN AREAS

Rural area is an open swath of land that has few homes or other buildings, and not
overpopulated. The density of a rural area is very low unlike urban areas. Many people live
in a city, or urban area. Thus, their homes and businesses are been located very close to
one another. In a rural area, fewer people are inhabitants of the community, and their
 homes and businesses are located far away from one another. Primary occupation or
industry in most rural areas is agriculture. Most people work on farms, hamlet, villages and
and other small settlement surrounded by rural areas.

Peri-urban areas are zones of transition from rural to urban land uses located between the
outer limits of urban and regional centres and the rural environment. The boundaries of
peri urban areas are porous and transitory as urban development extends into rural and
industrial land.

An urban area, or built up area, is a human settlement with a High population density and
infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanisation and are
categorized by urban morphology as cities, towns, conurbation or suburbs. However,

Due to the absence of people and buildings, Wildlife is more frequent found in rural areas
than in the cities. In fact, rural areas are often called the country because residents can see
and communicate with country’s native wildlife. Across Ghana, most people live in rural
areas than in urban areas. This has been changing tremendously, however. Urbanisation is
happening all over the world.

CHARACTERISTICS OF RURAL COMMUNITIES

1. Size of the community

The village communities are not spacious in area than urban communities. As the village
communities are small, the total population is also low. Thus, a population less than 5000
people constitutes a rural community.

2. Agriculture is the main occupation.

Agriculture is the basic occupation of the rural people and forms the basis of rural
economy. A farmer has to perform various agricultural activities for which he needs the
participation of other members. Usually, these members are in his family. Thus, the
members of the entire family share agricultural activities.

3. Homogeneity of population

The village communities are homogenous in nature. Most of their inhabitants are
connected with agriculture and its allied occupation, though there are people belonging to
different castes, religions and classes.

4. Joint family.

Another characteristics feature of the rural society is the joint family system. The family
controls the behaviour of individuals. Generally, the father is the head of the family and
 also responsible for maintaining discipline among members. He manages the affairs of the
family.

5. Social interaction

The frequency of social interaction in rural areas is comparatively lower than in urban
areas. However, the interaction level possesses more stability and continuity. The
relationships and interactions in the primary groups are intimate. The family fulfils the
needs of the members and exercises control over them.

NATURE OF PROBLEMS OF RURAL AREAS

This talks about the nature of rural problems in rural areas. These problems are categorized
based on thematic areas of the Agenda for jobs.

 Economic Development
 Social Development
 Environment infrastructure and human settlement
 Governance, corruption and public accountability and
 Strengthening Ghana’s role in international affairs

PROBLEMS OF RURAL AREAS

Economic Development

1. Little to no population growth

This is as a result and cause of the lack of employment opportunities in rural communities
hence, people moves from the rural areas to the urban areas in search of greener pastures
and education as a whole

2. Low level of job opportunities.

Unemployment is the condition, when individuals are not engaged in any work or
occupation, either within their homes or outside the homes. Therefore, when they are
unemployed , they would not be able to generate a source a source of income and as a
result will experience poverty

Social Development

1. Low educational attainment.

The prevalence of illiteracy is common among rural individuals apart from poverty, there
are number of causes leading to illiteracy. Lack of literacy skills, education and awareness
leads to an increase in unemployment

Rural poverty. Poverty is considered to be a complex phenomenon. It manifests itself

within the range of overlapping and interlinked political, economic and social deprivations.
These include shortage of assets, monetary of resources, malnutrition, social and
economic hardships, unawareness, backwardness, discrimination and incapability.
 Environment infrastructure and human settlement

1.Sanitation as a major problem in rural areas. Improper disposal of waste accounts to the
poor surrounding in the rural areas. Lack of dust- bin in the rural areas has resulted to the
improper disposal of wastes. Thus, causing environmental pollution.

Rural health. Rural areas often lack sufficient numbers of health care professionals,
hospitals, and medical clinics. The second problem is the long distances that ambulances
and patients must travel. Because ambulances and other emergency vehicles must travel
so far, rural residents with emergencies receive medical attention more slowly than their
urban counterparts. The long distances that people people must travel make it more
difficult for patients with health problems to receive medical care.

Reference

National Advisory Committee on rural health and human services. (2011). The 2011 report
to the secretary: Rural health and human services issues.

Social Development

 One of the sad facts of rural life is domestic violence. This form of violence is
certainly common in urban areas, but the defining feature of rural areas. A
relatively low number of people living in a relatively Broad area creates several
problems for victims of domestic violence, most of them women. For example,
these women often find it difficult to get help and to leave their abusers wherever
they live. However, it is even more difficult for rural to do so. Rural police may be
unenlightened about domestic violence and may even know the abuser, for either
reason, they may not consider his violence a crime, and abused women may be
that much more reluctant to tell the police about their abuse.

Economic Development

 Inadequate financial management. Rural individuals mostly are illiterate and

unaware. They do not possess adequate knowledge in terms of effective
management of finances. In some cases they do not make some savings and
investment and spend the available monetary resources on things, which are not
necessary.

Review literature to understand how rural areas are defined.

A rural area is an open land that has few homes and with a very low population. The density of
rural area is very low. It is also a geographic area that is located outside towns and cities.
Typical rural areas have a very low population density and small settlements. Their main
occupation is agriculture.

Identify the characteristics of rural communities

I. The frequency of social interaction

ii. Homogeneity of population

iii. Agriculture is the main occupation

iv. Size of population

V. Density of population

Conclusion

This assignment has helped to distinguish between rural areas, Peri- urban and urban
areas as well as the characteristics of rural areas . In view of this, I have been able to
identify various problems that hinder the progress of rural communities and the necessary
steps outlined to overcome these challenges.