WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF THE RURAL URBAN MIGRATION IN GHANA?

 Rural-urban migration is the movement of people from the countryside to the city. ... 

Urban growth - towns and cities are expanding, covering a greater area of land. 

Urbanisation - an increasing proportion of people living in towns and cities.

Migration has both positive and negative consequences on the place of departure and destination. Natural resource depletion, environmental pollution, earning disparities, redundancy, urban expansion, social unrest, population crowding were/are some of the negative effects of migration.Nowadays, many people decide to migrate to have a better life. 

Research  finds that emigration and low migration barriers has net positive effects on human capital formation in the sending countries. ... Greater emigration of skilled workers consequently leads to greater economic growth and welfare improvements in the long run. 

                                                          Positive Effects 

1. Unemployment is reduced and people get better job opportunities.
2. Migration helps in improving the quality of life of people.
3. It helps to improve social life of people as they learn about new culture, customs, and languages which helps to improve brotherhood among people.
4. Migration of skilled workers leads to a greater economic growth of the region.
5. Children get better opportunities for higher education.
6. The population density is reduced and the birth rate decreases.

                                                        Negative Effects 

Urbanisation has negative consequences on health due mainly to pollution and overcrowded living conditions. It can also put added pressure on food supply systems. The pressures of urban living may lead to crime and other consequences of social deprivation.

1. Labor shortages ( skills and unskilled ) in rural areas. 
2. Only women, children, older citizens are left in the rural areas and it increases child labor. 
3. Women engagement outside the house increases. 
4. Decrease in rural population, employment. 
5. Decrease in quality of health education facilities in the community. 

An example of an effect on Rural-urban migration is the lead to low productivity in output, hence reducing  Gross Domestic Product (GDP), overcrowding and pressure on social amenities, unemployment and underemployment, increase in social vices and development of slums, and slowing down of development. This is evident in the current floods which occurred in May 2012 (TV3 News) because of poor drainage due to congestion and the recent fire outbreak in August, 01, 2013 (ViaSat 1 News) in the railway slum at the Circle. Not forgetting the solid waste disposal in the capital city of Accra, this has become a daunting task for the municipal authorities, who seem to lack the capacity to tackle the mounting waste situation. In their attempt to address development problems.

https://anchor.fm/g162/episodes/Rural-urban-migration-in-Ghana-ecqdnj/Effects-a1ug4pb 



Humu Yussif 
DCS20866