CHAPTER SEVEN
Date - 14/Sep/2016
CHAPTER SEVEN
Spatial Distribution of Social and Economic Infrastructure
The spatial analysis of the district demonstrates the distribution of human and economic activities in the district. It provides an understanding of the district’s space economy and an insight into the adequacy of the functions performed by the various settlements. Thus, it depicts the level of centrality of the settlements in the district. Specifically, the spatial analysis is centered on the type and distribution of infrastructure and services in the various communities of the district. Using the functional model of classifying settlements, it is possible to establish the hierarchy of settlements as well as their distribution in space which would provide the basis for injecting equity and efficiency into the space economy.
In all 26 services and facilities were considered in constructing the scalogram. The settlements that have been included in the scalogram were selected based on the population size and the availability of a ubiquitous service. Settlements that have population above 1,000 were considered.
Below is a scalogram analysis indicating the distribution of facilities and services in the district.
Table 28: A Scalogram Showing the Distribution of Facilities and Services in Nandom District
7.1 Hierarchy and Distribution of Settlements
In ranking the settlements in the district based on the variety and levels of services they can offer to assume a level of centrality, the criteria below were used.
80% and above of the total centrality = 1stOrder Settlement
60 - 79% of the total centrality of = 2nd Order Settlement
40 and 59% of the total centrality = 3rd Order Settlement
20 and 39 % of the total centrality = 4th Order Settlement
20 % and below of the total centrality = 5th Order Settlement
Based on these criteria, Table 29 is the outcome of the scalogram analysis.
Table 29: Hierarchy of settlements in Nandom District
| Order | Communities | Pop. within the Order | Names of Communities. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 1 | 7303 | Nandom |
| 2nd | Nil | Nil | Nil |
| 3rd | 2 | 2,499 | Kogle, Brutu |
| 4th | 7 | 8,765 | Bu Central, Nandomkpe, , Piiri, Bichinteng, Tome, Tokuu, Tantuo |
The scalogram indicates a wide disparity between Nandom and other communities in the district, in terms of centrality. As presented in the Table …., after ranking Nandom first in terms of importance, the next central places are Kogle and Brutu, which is 3rd. This is due to the existence of many high order facilities and services in Nandom, the District capital. Kogle and Brutu are settlements which are spatially closer to Nandom and this may explain their higher rank as compared to the other settlements. This placement in ranking demonstrates a profound development gap between the district capital and other communities. Services and facilities will therefore have to be consciously distributed evenly to avoid uneven service development. Below is a map that gives a pictorial view of the distribution of facilities and infrastructures in the aforementioned settlements.
Prim.,JHS,Agric. Ext. Service, Borehole, Feeder Road, Electricity
Nursery, Prim., Agric. Ext. Service, Borehole, Feder Road, Electricity
Text Box: Prmary, JHS, Clinic, Agric. Exten. Service, Borehole, Feeder Road, Electricity
Nursery, Prim, JHS, Health Centre, Clinic/CHPS, TBA, Information Centre, Rural Bank, Agric. Ext. Centre, Agric. Ext. Service, Borehole, Pipe borne, KVIP, Trunk Road, Feeder Road, Fuel Point, Area Council, DA, Police Station, Electricity, Weekly Market
Primary, JHS, Clinic/CHPS, Agric. Ext. Service, Borehole, KVIP, electricity
Primary, JHS, Health Centre, Information Centre, Agric. Ext. Centre, Agric. Ext. Service, Borehole, KVIP, Feeder road
Nursery, Prim., JHS, Information Centre, Agric. Ext. Service, Borehole, Feeder, Electricity
Prim., JHS CHPS, Agric Ext. Service, Borehole, Feeder Road, Electricity
Nursery, Prim., JHS, CHPS, Agric. Ext. Service, Borehole, KVI, Feeder Road Electricity