The purpose of this desk review is to present an overview of definitions, trends and
characteristics of poverty and ‘the poor’ in Ghana as a context for the specific
circumstances of the peri-urban poor in Kumasi, Ashanti Region. The review is an
integral part of DFID Research Project R7854 (Phase II), aiming to consolidate and
create new knowledge to fill critical gaps in the existing understanding of the natural
resource systems and livelihood strategies of the peri-urban urban dwellers in Kumasi,
Ghana.
Data collected on poverty and livelihoods in peri-urban Kumasi during previous phases
of the project were collated and reinvestigated during Phase I of R7854, concluding
that “people’s own perceptions of the relative poverty associated with different
occupations and combinations of assets had not been [sufficiently] investigated.”
(Nunan et al, 2001: 115). Thus, alongside additional fieldwork, this review was
commissioned to provide an improved knowledge of poverty trends in Ghana, and an
awareness of the key issues for the poor.