Population, Size and Growth

The population of the District as recorded in the 2000 Ghana Population and Housing Census is 130,388 compared with 90,000 in 1984, giving a growth rate of 3%.  This is higher than both the Regional and National growth rates of 1.8% and 2.5% respectively as shown on figure 1.   This indicates that there will be a rapid increase in the pressure exerted on the existing services and resources in the District, which will be higher than what will be experienced elsewhere in the region or the country at large.

Age and Sex Composition Of The Population

According to the 2000 Population and Housing census, the District’s total population comprises of 48.45% males while females make up the rest 51.55%.  The proportion of males to females between the ages 0-9 (Pre-School and Primary) is almost the same while there are more males (6,51 percent) than females (5,97 percent) in the JSS age group of 10 – 14 years.

Dependency Ratio

This is compares the number of people who are working and gaining income in an economy with those who are not working (mostly because of their age) in a situation where those who are not working because of their age (too old or too young) are more than those who are active and working, then we experience a high dependency ratio.

In the case of the Central Tongu District, the people within Pre-School and School ages of 0-14 years form 44.26 per cent of the total population, while those at the retiring age of 60 and above form 7.86 percent giving the total percentage of the dependent population to be   forming a dependent population of 51.12 percent.

Considering the fact that some of those in the age group of 15 – 19 are still students in SSS, the dependent population actually will be 61.72 percent of the total population. The detailed breakdown of the population is shown on figure 3 following;

Flowing from above, it is very clear that only 40 per cent of the population is in the active labour force group, making the dependency ratio around 1. 3. Which can be simply interpreted that one active worker is expected to work hard enough to cater from his/her own needs as well as for three people who will depend on him/her for their survival. Such a situation impacts greatly on development because it makes it very difficult for the active population to save for onward investment in other development projects

Environmental Situation

The quality of the environment of the District is generally and comparatively fair. Due to the rural nature of the District, it has less pollution from industrial and vehicular waste and other pollutants like large volumes of domestic waste, which is mostly associated with large population centers. That not withstanding, human activities in the District have adversely affected the Districts environment significantly.
 
Natural Environment

Human activities in the district over the years have adversely affected the natural environment in the District in many ways. Being a dominant occupation in the District, cattle rearing has brought about massive over-grazing resulting in soil erosion and degradation the situation is also worsened by poor farming practices adopted by the people which include over-cultivation and bush burning.
The escalating spate of deforestation in the area is also due to charcoal burning, fuel wood collection, bushfires, farming and small scale mining of oyster shells at Mepe/ Battor and Dorfor areas, sand and granite/gravel winning at Dekpoe, Avakpedome, Asiekpe, Kluma and Tsikpoe

It also noteworthy that creation of the Akosombo and Kpong dams has adversely affected the ecology of the district in several ways, which include;

• No deposition of silt on the flood plains to improve soil fertility due to the cessation of the annual flooding of the Volta.
• Situation of much of the lower Volta and the presence of river weeds has caused extinction of oyster and destruction of the fishing industry.

Built Environment

The major problem of the built environment is the unplanned nature of the settlements and the poor physical condition of majority of the structures resulting in poor aesthetic quality.

Lack or non-enforcement o of building regulations in most communities of the District has also resulted in the construction of a myriad of buildings, which lack basic amenities like toilets, proper bathrooms and provision for the disposal of both solid and liquid waste. The result is open defecation and unorganized refuse disposal in the District.
 
The unplanned nature of most of the communities in the District has also resulted in the absence of drainage within the settlements thereby enhancing stagnation of liquid waste for breeding of mosquitoes, pests and bacteria. The situation is also worsened by ignorance of people about the need to improve the quality of the environment and absence of qualified personnel, appropriate technology and resources to improve the environment. The environmental deterioration in the District is also partly due to the failure of Volta River
Authority (VRA) to manage the after effects of the two dams constructed at Akosombo and Kpong.

Human Settlement Patterns

The 2000 Population and Housing Census listed the first 20 largest settlements in the District, with Juapong being the largest with a population of 13,103 people, more than double that of the district capital, Adidome with population 6,347. The first 20 largest settlements are listed on table 1 following according to the Area Council in which they fall.

Other large settlements in the District outside the first 20 brackets are Old and New Bakpa in the Bakpa Area Council and Kpedzeglo, which is the seat of its Local Council Area, as well as Ngorlikpoe and Mebieawoe.

A concentration of relatively large settlements is also found in the Dusor Area Council whilst vast areas of the District have very few settlements, mostly cattle rearing and farm hamlets far apart and are accessible by tracks, some only in the dry season.

Environmental Situation

The quality of the environment of the District is generally and comparatively fair. Due to the rural nature of the District, it has less pollution from industrial and vehicular waste and other pollutants like large volumes of domestic waste, which is mostly associated with large population centers. That not withstanding, human activities in the District have adversely affected the Districts environment significantly.
 
Natural Environment

Human activities in the district over the years have adversely affected the natural environment in the District in many ways. Being a dominant occupation in the District, cattle rearing has brought about massive over-grazing resulting in soil erosion and degradation the situation is also worsened by poor farming practices adopted by the people which include over-cultivation and bush burning.

The escalating spate of deforestation in the area is also due to charcoal burning, fuel wood collection, bushfires, farming and small scale mining of oyster shells at Mepe/ Battor and Dorfor areas, sand and granite/gravel winning at Dekpoe, Avakpedome, Asiekpe, Kluma and Tsikpoe

It also noteworthy that creation of the Akosombo and Kpong dams has adversely affected the ecology of the district in several ways, which include;

• No deposition of silt on the flood plains to improve soil fertility due to the cessation of the annual flooding of the Volta.
• Situation of much of the lower Volta and the presence of river weeds has caused extinction of oyster and destruction of the fishing industry.