Maxwell Fobi Kontor
Confluence of Urban Informality and Climate Change: Examining the resilience of informal settlements to heat stress in Ghana
Patterns of human habitation have become increasingly urbanised. African countries are experiencing some of the fastest urbanisation rates globally; however, this rapid urbanisation has been ‘unguided’ and has contributed to the proliferation of informal settlements. The millions of residents in these precarious informal neighbourhoods often live in risk-prone areas and lack access to essential services and evacuation routes, increasing their exposure to the ramifications of climate variability. Particularly, African countries are often more vulnerable to the hotspots of climate-induced risks such as heat waves. The continent’s temperature is expected to rise faster during the twenty-first century than the global average, increasing the areas affected by heat stress. Poor and low-income populations in densely structured and crowded informal neighbourhoods are especially vulnerable to heat stress. Within the broader framework of informality and climate change, Maxwell’s study explores socio-spatial contextual factors influencing heat stress and heat inequity exposure and the adaptive capacities or resiliencies of informal settlements to heat stress. The study uses the two major cities in Ghana as a case study (Accra and Kumasi), which epitomise the informal urbanism and climate-resilient challenges of African cities. Maxwell’s Doctoral thesis employs mixed research approaches anchored on qualitative, quantitative and simulation techniques to unpack the foundational epistemology of the issues and the ontological narratives. The findings from the study will be informative for practical urban planning and policymaking on heat equity planning and transformative climate adaptation and mitigation to promote liveable, climate-resilient and healthy cities.
Supervisors
Professor Andre Brown & Dr Jose Nunez Collado
Qualifications
Master of Science in Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
Bachelor of Science in Development Planning
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana