According to project documents, the Kumasi Urban Mobility and Accessibility Project (KUMAP) aims to “improve mobility, accessibility, and safety along selected corridors, and improve planning capacity for sustainable urban growth in the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area.” The project is made up of three components. The first component will implement a bus rapid transit (BRT) system, which covers constructing and upgrading relevant infrastructure. The second will help to facilitate a smooth transition to a new mass transit system, including the development of new reforms and frameworks and support for current transport operators to develop the skills to flourish under the new BRT system. The final component will help to develop plans and policies to complement the new mass transit system, such as creating more public spaces and looking at how policies and practices used in this project can be applied elsewhere to cities of a similar size.
Our partners, the Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations (GFD) and Strategic Youth Network for Development (SYND), carried out a desk review of all publicly available project documents and organized focus group discussions and town halls in Kumasi to better understand community concerns around the project. Some of the main findings are discussed below.
Lack of access to information. One of the main findings across both partners' field visits was a lack of awareness and access to information regarding KUMAP and its anticipated environmental and social risks and impacts. The stakeholders engaged during field visits were not aware of the project and did not feel they had enough information to meaningfully engage with the Bank about the potential social and environmental impacts of this project. GFD found that the Deaf community and persons with physical disabilities were particularly concerned that they may be adversely affected by construction and the environmental impacts associated with construction, such as dust and air pollution, but have not had access to information about the project or been consulted by the Bank.
Failure to adequately assess potential social and environmental risks and impacts. The current publicly available project documents do not include provisions or clearly state accommodations for persons with disabilities and how the BRT and its associated infrastructure will be universally accessible for persons with disabilities. In addition, the potential climate and environmental impacts have not been sufficiently analyzed and mitigated. For instance, one of the potential environmental impacts associated with construction is dust pollution. In previous large-scale road projects, dust pollution triggered asthma and other respiratory diseases, and this may have a disproportionate impact on persons with disabilities. However, project documents do not include sufficient details or measures around how the risks and impacts will be addressed. In addition, stakeholders in one of the town hall meetings shared that there is a nearby waterbody of great importance, and they are concerned about potential contamination from construction activities, particularly dust pollution and chemical spillage.
Displacement, relocation, loss of livelihoods. Communities also raised concerns around displacement and loss of livelihoods due to the BRT system. One participant said, “the expansion of the road will displace hundreds of thousands of business owners and residents along the corridor.” Other participants raised concerns around whether there is land available for relocation and a fear that they will lose their livelihood as a result of the BRT. This was a particular concern among private transport operators who expressed concern that the introduction of new buses will lead to a loss of autonomy over their work and a fear that they will be replaced.
Deforestation and destruction of green spaces. A concern raised during one of SYND’s field visits is around deforestation and the loss of green spaces to make way for road expansion. A reduction of trees in these urban areas is set to facilitate a rise in temperature since trees are heat absorbers and natural air purifiers.
Transport infrastructure is vulnerable to climate change and not universally accessible. The current transport system in Kumasi is not resilient to climate impacts, such as flooding. Field visits found that in the wake of flooding, people are cut off from services, which can disproportionately impact persons with disabilities. In addition, the current transport system lacks a sufficient number of climate-resilient bus stops that are large enough to accommodate persons with disabilities, particularly persons with physical disabilities who use wheelchairs, and protect people from inclement weather such as rain or extreme sunlight.
Inadequate drainage system. Many of the current drains in Kumasi are open and pose a threat to persons with disabilities who have fallen in. Due to their nature as large and open, respondents noted that this also leads to people throwing trash down the drains and concerns around the ability of these drains to adequately drain in the event of heavy rain and flooding. Some respondents shared that they use wood to cover drains, but it is not an effective long-term solution as it breaks after frequent use.
The World Bank is financing the total project cost of US$200 million
Ghana Federation of Disability Organizations and Strategic Youth Network for Development
Meaningfully engage with stakeholders throughout the project cycle. The World Bank should engage with stakeholders at each stage of the project’s cycle, including representatives from affected communities, persons with disabilities, and environmental organizations. During the planning stage, persons with disabilities should be adequately involved in all discussions about the project. The Bank should communicate the project status and its projected timelines even during the design and pre-approval stages.
Bus stops and BRT infrastructure should be universally accessible and climate-resilient. All bus stops and buses should be large enough to accommodate persons with disabilities. To mitigate the impacts of climate change, such as heavy rain and extreme sunlight, all waiting areas and bus stops should be designed with eco-friendly overhead canopies to protect persons with disabilities, older persons, and other marginalized people waiting for the bus. In addition, gutters and drainage systems should be covered to prevent accidents and enhanced to better handle floods.
Prevent contamination of water. The Bank should put mechanisms in place to protect the water bodies across portions of the BRT route to prevent exposure to dust and the spread of diseases due to chemical spillage or air pollution. This should include improving the drainage systems using climate-resilient materials to close the drains, prevent litter from entering, and prevent accidents.
Prioritize climate-resilient design. The Bank should integrate considerations of adaptation into the design of the road and BRT infrastructure to increase the adaptive capacity of the BRT system and communities. This will help to enhance the BRT system’s accessibility and resilience, particularly in the event of a flood or another climate-induced disaster.
Reconstruct green spaces and restore biodiversity loss. As the construction of the BRT and its infrastructure is likely to lead to deforestation and the removal of green urban spaces, the Bank should support the reconstruction or development of new green spaces and restore all biodiversity loss.
