Population: Population Size and Growth Rates

The population growth rate was 2.66% in 1984.

About 40% of the populace were children (source: Ghana - We Mean Business: A Guide To Ghana’s 110 Districts page 282). In 1960 the population of the area forming the defunct Agona District was 82,607 and growing at an annual rate of 0.6%. It reached 87,446 in 1970. By 1984 the total population was 122,631. Growth rate was 2.66% between 1970 and 1984 (source: 1996-2000 Medium Term Development Plan page 14) the current (2000) population being 158,678, the annual growth rate between 1984 and 2000 is 1.196% per annum.

However, the growth rate of the major towns shows a higher average growth rate of 2.4%. Agona East District’s Estimated Population now stands at 85,339 with female slightly dominating at an estimated population of 43,8644 . While the male population was estimated at 41,475 (source: 2009 AEDA DWSP Data Collection Report).

Environmental Situation

Currently, all the communities rely on make shift local arrangements most of which do not conform to accepted environmental norms. Besides, individual land owners are not prepared to release their lands free for the stated purpose.The poor waste disposal situation in Agona East has been caused by inefficient and inadequate infrastructure facilities, especially insufficient drainage and toilet facilities. In some of the communities refuse disposal points have become terminals for open defecation. While the pile of refuse grow into unsightly mountains because the Assembly is unable to cope with the problem.

The absence of development according to planned layouts has denied the towns of elaborate drainage systems and resulted in household effluents being disposed of haphazardly and causing unsanitary conditions in most areas. The illegal activities of chain-saw operators, charcoal and firewood merchants have resulted in deforestation since the fuel wood related activities are not based on sustainable exploitation of forest resources and thus posing a threat to ecological stability and sustainable environmental development.

Traditional farm management practices, to wit, slash-and-burn; reduced fallow periods; reduced crop rotation cycles and the absence of agro-forestry practices among others have resulted in erosion on farmlands.  One major environmental problem especially in the villages is inter-house soil erosion. The foundations under several houses are exposed thus posing danger to life and property since many of these buildings are constructed with laterite. Due to misuse and mismanagement of water bodies, for example dumping of refuse and soapy water into them largely due to ignorance and conservatism there is water pollution in some of the settlements.