Location and Physical Characteristics

Cape Coast is the only Metropolis out of the Twenty-two (22) districts in the Central Region. Cape Coast Metropolis lies within latitudes 5? 20’ and longitudes 1? 11’ to 1? .41’ West of the Greenwich Meridian. The Metropolis is bounded to the south by the Gulf of Guinea, west by the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem Municipal, East by the Abura Asebu Kwamankese District, and to the north by the Twifu Heman Lower Denkyira District. It occupies an Area of approximately 122 square kilometres, with the farthest point at Brabedze, about 17 kilometres from Cape Coast, the capital of the Metropolis as well as the Central Region.

The Metropolitan Assembly (CCMA) was established initially as a municipal Assembly by L.I. 1373 in 1987 and after twenty years of existence elevated to Metropolitan status by L.I. 1927 in February, 2007. It is divided into two sub-Metros, i.e. Cape Coast North and South (which are also the constituencies). The main road from Accra to Takoradi, running through the township virtually demarcates Cape Coast Metropolis into north and south, with the Abura part of the road being north and the opposite side being south.

The strategic location of Cape Coast, located between the major cities in the country, namely Kumasi, Accra and Takoradi, as well as educational centre and tourist hub of Ghana provides an opportunity to develop the service industry.

Figure 1: Map of Cape Coast Metropolis

Relief and Drainage

The landscape of the Cape Coast Metropolis is generally undulating with batholiths as a dominant feature. The slopes of the hills are steep in many areas and tend to affect physical development (construction of houses, roads, etc.) provision of utility and other social services (laying of pipes and telephone lines, etc) and mobility (human and vehicles). In between the hills are valleys of various shapes, some occupied by rivers and streams including the Kakum - the major steam in the Metropolis.

Many of the minor streams end up in wetlands, with the largest draining into the Fosu Lagoon at Bakaano. The wetlands are liable to flooding and, for many of them; the water table is high, averaging just 1.2 metres below the surface. During heavy rains, these wetlands become unusable as farmlands. The landscape in the northern parts of the Metropolis is however, generally low-lying and is suitable for crop cultivation.   

Geology and Drainage

The rock type of the district is of the Birimian formation and consists of schist and introduced granites and pegmatite. The hills are generally overlain by sandy and clayey silts while the valleys are overlain by clayey gravel with lateritic soils exposed in a number of areas. The hilly nature of the place has greatly affected building and road construction. It also promotes erosion especially along slopes, and sedimentation/siltation and flooding at low-lying areas.       

The Metropolis is drained largely by the Kakum which serve as the main source of drinking water. The Kakum River is dammed at Brimso, a location close to Cape Coast where the water is treated and distributed to the Metropolis. The effects of destruction of the surrounding environment of the river basin is however impacting negatively on the sustainability of this natural resource, and causing perennial water shortages particularly in the dry season. The Kakum River Basin is located in the north-eastern the Metropolis. There are a number of settlements along the basin. The river provides for domestic water supply, industrial and agricultural purposes.

Human activities along the river over the years are negatively affecting the development and use of this water resource. Key among them are:
Population growth along the basin;
Inappropriate farming activities on the banks of the river and at the source;
Use of agrochemicals in farming;
Winning of sand;
Dumping of liquid and solid waste material from domestic and industrial sources into the basin;
Poor planning schemes in the basin area;
and, Indiscriminate harvesting of wood from the source to the midstream;

These problems, among others, have resulted in the degradation and pollution of the river. Bilharzia cases recorded at Health facilities in the Metropolis are mainly from communities along the catchment area. There is the need therefore, to conduct baseline studies along the basin to collect, collate and generate information to address the current situation. Major institutions expected to lead in this crusade is the University of Cape Coast, Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit and the Ghana Health Service.

Soils

The dominant soils of the Metropolis are lateritic in nature and are derived mainly from the weathered granite and schist. Along the slopes the soil profiles have top soils with depths of about 0.33m while on the hills, loose to dense sandy soil of about 2.36m in depth frequently occur. In the valleys and swampy areas, fine sandy deposits occur extensively.

Wildlife

The woody forests of the Metropolis once supported a diverse range of wildlife such as deer, antelopes, and monkeys. However, due to extensive cultivation, construction, hunting and trapping, most of the animals have either been killed or compelled to migrate into the few remaining sanctuaries around Amosima and the Kakum-Atandanso reserves outside the Metropolis. Wildlife found in the Cape Coast Metropolis is mainly grass cutters, a few monkeys, and some birds which migrate to the area during the rainy seasons.

Climate

Located in the littoral anomalous zone of Ghana, The Cape Coast Metropolis experiences high temperatures throughout the year. The hottest months are February and March, just before the main rainy season, while the coolest months are between June and August. The variability in climate in the district is influenced more by rainfall that temperature. The District has a double maximal rainfall, with annual rainfall total between 750 and 1,000mm. The highest rainfall ever recorded was 1719mm in 1979 and the lowest 372mm in 1983. The minor rainy season is between November and January.

Cape Coast is a humid area. Mean monthly relative humidity in the morning varies narrowly between 85% and 99%. But in the afternoon, humidity varies considerably from around 50% in the dry months to the high 80s during the wet months, especially in May and June. The high humidity and sea breeze have negative effects on equipment and materials including vehicles and those for building. The humidity also creates foggy conditions in the mornings, especially on coastal roads, reducing visibility appreciably and making driving a bit hazardous.

Vegetation

The present vegetation of the Metropolis consists of shrubs of about 1.5 metres high, grasses and a few scattered trees. The original vegetation of dense scrub, which the rainfall supported, has been replaced by secondary vegetation as a result of clearing for farming, charcoal burning, bush fires and other human activities. Presently, trees are less dense in the area compared with the interior forest areas, except the occasional acacia plantations and bamboo shrubs found in a few sanctuaries not yet completely deforested, such as in a few parts to the north-east and north-west of the University of Cape Coast.

The northern parts of the Metropolis are an exception to what has been described above. Here, secondary forest can be found and has survived mainly due to lower population densities and relatively little disturbance of the ecosystem.

Figure 3: Vegetation Map of Cape Coast Metropolis

Air Pollution

The main source of air pollution is dusts in the middle and northern part of the city. The emission from vehicles reduces the air quality within the city centre. The stench from refuse in the market and communal sites degrades air quality of the metropolis.

Water Pollution

The water bodies in the Metropolis are under threat due to indiscriminate human activities. The Fosu lagoon is polluted with plastic refuse, spillage from final disposal sites and industrial liquid waste.

Land Pollution

The Metropolis properly manages about 62% of its projected tonnage of solid wastes generated within its jurisdiction estimated at 102 tonnes as at 2022. As a result, there are evidence to suggest that residents resort to indiscriminate methods of disposal such as burning, throwing of refuse in the open spaces and into drains among others. This therefore serves as a source environmental hazard and disaster in the city.

In addition, no community in the metropolis is declared open defecation free. As a result, the Assembly through the support other public institutions began construction of a number of institutional toilet facilities. However, estimates indicate that these facilities will not be adequate to manage 25% of the total human waste generated.