Informal Settlements And Pollution Behaviour In The Adentan Municipality, Accra

Abstract

City authorities have disapproved of the proliferation of informal settlements due to the pollution caused in such environments. This study sought to identify the sources of pollution in informal settlements and determine behaviour change techniques to reduce pollution in terms of indiscriminate waste disposal behaviour in these settlements. The mixed method approach was used. GPS and a structured listing form were used to identify informal settlements and characterized them, respectively. Overall, 350 respondents (female: 186 and males: 164) were selected randomly to participate in a questionnaire survey aimed at identifying the primary sources of pollution in their environs and the effect of pollution on settlers' health and the environment. The RANAS model for behaviour change was used to identify critical behavioural factors and targeted behavioural techniques. Interviews were also conducted with municipal experts such as the municipal works and planning officer and the environmental health officer. SPSS and Excel were used to analyse the data collected. The results indicated that the significant sources of pollution include indiscriminate solid waste disposal, lack of grey water containment, and lack of toilet facilities. The population structure of the studied community is youthful, with the age groups of 26-35 years recording the highest responses. The age structure indicated that informal dwellers are young migrants searching for greener pastures. Among the participants, 56% (94) had basic level education87.9% (307) engaged in informal businesses, and 86.7% (303) fall within low-income earners. Also, 54.4% (189) of the participants were squatters and had no security of land tenure as the occupied lands were owned mostly by private individuals and the government. In comparing the health of dwellers to the indiscriminate waste disposal behaviour and their environment, a weak positive (𝜌 = 0.393) and a strong positive (𝜌 = 0.714) correlation existed between the health of the dwellers and the environment, respectively. Behaviour change techniques identified include information, persuasive, infrastructural, skills and ability, norm, planning, and relapse prevention BCTs. In conclusion some critical behavioural factors influenced the indiscriminate waste disposal behaviour of informal settlers in the Adentan Municipality. This thesis recommends further studies in the waste disposal and collection interventions using the Behaviour Change Techniques identified. pastures.