The District can be described as a typically rural and the major settlements are scattered. Chereponi, Wonjuga and Sangbana have populations above 1,000 people. The settlement pattern of the District is scattered and many settlements have less than 500 people, and most of the villages are located in the interior sector of the District.

One reason could be attributed to their farming method, as farms are located much closed to homes. This settlement population distribution pattern does not augur well for development in the case of the distribution of socio-economic and technical infrastructure, which requires certain population threshold to make them viable. 

OCCUPATIONAL CATEGORIES IN CHEREPONI DISTRICT
Occupation

Professional, technical and related workers
Administrative and managerial workers
Clerical and related workers
Sales workers
Service workers
Agric. Animal husbandry, fishermen and hunters
Production, transport operators and labourers
Others
Total
SOURCE: 2000 PHC GHANA STATISTICAL SERVICE

POPULATION DISTRIBUTION BY INDUSTRY

The main economic activity engaged in Chereponi District is agriculture, hunting and forestry. Table 2.4 and depicts the occupational categories of the district. Agriculture is the main occupation for 81% of the population. About 40% of the land is used for agricultural purposes. The common crops are cereals and yams. All farmers in addition keep livestock. Production of cotton as cash crop is slowly taking over the land used for food crops.

POPULATION DENSITY

The population density of the District is estimated to be 50 persons per square kilometer, which is 54,269/1,080 km sq. The population measure in this calculation is from a figure given from Research Triangle International who conducted, as a part of their program preparation for Indoor Residual Spraying, a census for their programme. The District is thus sparsely populated.

This phenomenon may be attributed to the scattered pattern of settlement of the people in the District. It is hoped that a successful implementation of the decentralization development policy coupled with sensitization on the need to change settlements will facilitate a balanced spatial distribution of the population. District population is estimated at 63,000 according to the 2000 Population and Housing census. Chereponi Town is the only settlement with a population that exceeds 10,000.

The 2000 population figure yields a density of 35 persons per sq. km, however this takes into account the size and population characteristics of the previously Saboba-Chereponi district. While this may include no great pressure of population on land, the same cannot be said of pressure on resources or what the land can generate.

Major human activities such as bush burning, charcoal making, road construction, winning of sand, gravel and stone, and cutting of the vegetation (savannah) for fuel wood are some of the factors that have led to environmental degradation in the District. The results of these activities are clearly manifested in the Chereponi area, which is fast becoming a desert.

Measures have recently just begun to be taken with the support of Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the designation of land for reforestation in five communities. The communities that EPA is working with in collaboration with the district assembly include: Naturi, Wenchiki, Mayamam, Kudani, and Wonjuga. National Youth Employment Programme also has an initiative to combat these issues with their Youth in Afforestation programme.

Conditions of the Built Environment

Most houses (about 80 per cent) are built with either land crate or mud walls and roofed with either aluminum or iron sheets or grass. The housing environment in the District is characterized by poor drains, unkempt surroundings, exposed foundations, poor ventilation and leaking roofs.

Given a household size of 7.9 persons, which is above the national average of 5.0 and a room occupancy of 1.5 persons, which is well below the national norm of 2.5 persons, the housing problem in the District is qualitative rather than quantitative. Facilities in houses such as water, electricity, kitchen, and toilet are virtually non-existent.

The situation with water and sanitation appears more appalling. With theexception of Chereponi that has pipe-borne water, the major sources of water for drinking in the District are boreholes, wells and streams.  Refuse disposal is largely unorganized, as people tend to dump refuse anywhere in the communities.

Currently, there are two public toilets in Chereponi. These toilets are not being used effectively because of their current poor state. Apart from these, there are no toilets anywhere except some individuals who have Ventilated Improved Pit-latrines (VTPs) through the assistance of Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA).

There are also no waste disposal points or centers. So waste is dumped anywhere considered convenient including areas around houses and drinking water sources. Drainage around houses and link roads is very poor.

With such an existing situation, it is quite evident that pollution would be equally great. Most of die drinking water sources are polluted with human waste as people defecate along the catchment areas and with heavy downpour; the waste is earned into these waters. The waste materials deposited around the houses equally pose as sources of polluting the environment and subsequently leading to sickness.

Performance Review Report (2006 – 2009)

The newly created Chereponi District Assembly implemented programmes and projects from the then Saboba/Chereponi District Assembly towards achieving accelerated development and poverty reduction in the district To assess the performance of the newly created district m the implementation of the Medium Term Development Plan (206-2009) a 3-day stakeholder’s workshop was organized.

Prior to the workshop, implementing departments some of whom constitute the District Planning Coordinating Unit (DPCU) had submitted their sectoral performance review reports to the District Assembly for discussion and preparation for the workshop.

Sector presentations included; areas where improvements had taken place over the plan period, areas that had seen limited progress and challenges to implementation. Also included in the submissions were current development issues and departmental or sectoral long term objectives (see Appendix 1).

Participants included members of the District Planning Coordinating Unit, women groups, religious bodies, Non Governmental Organisations, Assembly persons and representatives of Association of persons with Disabilities.

SPATIAL ANALYSIS

Most houses (about 80 per cent) are built with either land crate or mud walls and roofed with either aluminum or iron sheets or grass. The housing environment in the District is characterized by poor drains, unkempt surroundings including open cesspools for sewers, exposed foundations, poor ventilation and leaking roofs.

Given a household size of 7.9 persons, which is above the national average of 5.0 and a room occupancy of 1.5 persons, which is well below the national norm of 2.5 persons, the housing problem in the District is qualitative rather than quantitative. Facilities in houses such as water, electricity, kitchen, and toilet are virtually non-existent.

The situation with water and sanitation appears more appalling. With the exception of Chereponi that has pipe-borne water, the major sources of water for drinking in the District are boreholes, wells, streams, and dams.

Refuse disposal is largely unorganized, as people tend to dump refuse anywhere in the communities. Currently, there are two public toilets in Chereponi. These toilets are not being used effectively because of their current poor state. Apart from these, there are no toilets anywhere except some individuals who have Ventilated Improved Pit-latrines (VIPs) through the assistance of Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA). There are also no waste disposal points or centers.

Therefore, waste is dumped anywhere considered convenient including areas around houses and drinking water sources. Drainage around houses and link roads is very poor.With such an existing situation, it is quite evident that pollution would be equally great. Most of the drinking water sources are polluted with human waste as people defecate along the catchment areas and with heavy downpour; the waste is  carried into these waters. The waste materials deposited around the houses equally pose as sources of polluting the environment and subsequently leading to sickness.  

Towns And Electoral Areas