Challenges and Potential Solutions for Sustainable Urban-Rural Linkages in a Ghanaian Context

Somanje, Albert Novas, Mohan, Geetha, Lopes, Julia, Mensah, Adelina, Gordon, Christopher, Zhou, Xin, Moinuddin, Mustafa, Saito, Osamu and Takeuchi, Kazuhiko, (2020). Challenges and Potential Solutions for Sustainable Urban-Rural Linkages in a Ghanaian Context. Sustainability, 12(2), 1-19

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  • Sub-type Journal article
    Author Somanje, Albert Novas
    Mohan, Geetha
    Lopes, Julia
    Mensah, Adelina
    Gordon, Christopher
    Zhou, Xin
    Moinuddin, Mustafa
    Saito, Osamu
    Takeuchi, Kazuhiko
    Title Challenges and Potential Solutions for Sustainable Urban-Rural Linkages in a Ghanaian Context
    Appearing in Sustainability
    Volume 12
    Issue No. 2
    Publication Date 2020-01-09
    Place of Publication Basel
    Publisher MDPI
    Start page 1
    End page 19
    Language eng
    Abstract Urban-rural linkages are an integral part of fostering development in both urban and rural communities. However, the focus on development tends to have an urban bias toward Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) with an increase in urbanization. Ghana is one of the fastest urbanizing countries in SSA. This paper sought to identify the challenges of urban-rural linkages, their corresponding solutions, and contributions to Agenda 2030 that are context-specific to Ghana through a stepwise solution scanning technique. In step 1, the study applied a scoping process to identify the urban-rural challenges. In step 2, a solution for the identified urban-rural challenges in step 1 was co-designed. In step 3, each identified solution was assessed based on its potential to contribute to all three pillars of sustainability by ranking and prioritization. In step 4, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) interlinkages of the top five prioritized potential solutions were analyzed. The identified challenges were (1) inequality and gender gaps, (2) poor and lack of basic and economic infrastructures, (3) the limited effectiveness of decentralization, and (4) food and nutrition security dynamics. The prioritized potential solutions were gender inclusiveness, investment in infrastructures, sustainable agricultural systems, effective decentralization, and financial inclusion. This study recommends maximizing the synergies and minimizing the trade-offs between the SDGs of the potential solutions identified.
    Keyword urban-rural linkages
    potential solutions
    sustainable development
    sub-Saharan Africa
    Ghana
    Copyright Holder The Authors
    Copyright Year 2020
    Copyright type Creative commons
    DOI 10.3390/su12020507
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    Created: Tue, 17 Nov 2020, 13:39:52 JST by Rachel Nunn on behalf of UNU IAS