Assessing Social Vulnerability to Fire Hazards at the Kumasi Central Market, Ghana

Abstract

This article describes how social vulnerability indicators can assist with informing fire disaster relief preparations. Fire outbreaks at the Kumasi Central Market in Ghana have become an annual event. About 27 fire disasters were recorded between 2007 and 2016. This article uses a spatially-centered approach to assess human vulnerability to fire risk at the location. The study used a geographic information system to compliment indicators of vulnerability to assess the level of fire risk and adaptive capacities. Mixed method approach was also used to collect survey data from traders and emergency response agencies. Data sets were analyzed using SPSS and ArcGIS. The study revealed that: most of the damaging fires occur during the dry season; fire hydrants in the market are insufficient and inaccessible; and there are low levels of awareness on fire risk and weak adaptive capacities. The article recommends provision of more fire hydrants and mass education on disaster risk prevention. Also, the market must be reconstructed with fire resistant materials and designed to make it more accessible to fire emergency response.

Fire risk communication in the urban informal sector: Evidence from traditional marketplaces in Accra, Ghana

“…Fortunately, a few but an empirically rooted stream of emerging research sheds some light on the problem of urban marketplace fire disasters in Ghana (Aboagye et al, 2018; Aning‐Agyei, 2018; Oteng‐Ababio et al, 2015). For instance, Oteng‐Ababio and Sarpong (2015) used a Community‐Based Risk Assessment tool to analyse coping strategies in the Makola market and found social capital to be a crucial local resource for mitigating risks.…”

“…Aning‐Agyei (2018) also analysed postdisaster recovery in three of Ghana's major urban marketplaces (Kantamanto, Makola, and Kumasi Central) and concluded that the location of market stalls exacerbates fire risks with economic and psychological recovery taking more than 3 years. Stakeholder and geospatial analysis have also shown that the outbreak of marketplace fires is entwined in the ethos of disaster planning and management, where poor risk communication and weak collaboration exist within the formal sector (Aboagye et al, 2018; Oteng‐Ababio, 2016).…”

Digitalisation for whom: the determinants of residents' use of the digital property address system in Accra, Ghana

“…, 2021). It is also intended to automate government business processes and improve the digital trade (World Bank, 2019), facilitate the implementation of key government policies such as the national identification system, banking and tax reforms and passport acquisition (Aboagye et al. , 2018).…”

“…The DPAS aims to improve property identification, easy navigation and urban service delivery-such as responding to emergency services and household waste collection (Ayakwah et al, 2021). It is also intended to automate government business processes and improve the digital trade (World Bank, 2019), facilitate the implementation of key government policies such as the national identification system, banking and tax reforms and passport acquisition (Aboagye et al, 2018). For urban policymakers, the introduction of the DPAS is essential to improve digital navigation within the built environment (Abebrese, 2019).…”