Laurenssei/Household-Factors-Influencing-Settlement-and-Space-Use-Along-Water-Bodies-in-Urban-Ghana

# Household Factors Influencing Settlement and Space Use Along Water Bodies in Urban Ghana A data analysis project examining why low-income households settle near water bodies in Ghanaian cities, the socio-economic drivers behind these locational decisions, regulatory compliance, environmental risks, and implications for urban planning and flood-risk policy. --- ## Project Description This project analyzes survey data from **323 households** living along water bodies in informal settlements in Ghana (primarily the Kumasi Metropolitan Area). The study integrates demographic, economic, environmental, and regulatory variables to understand settlement motivations, waste disposal practices, flood exposure, and relocation willingness. Key themes include: **urban informality**, **environmental justice**, **flood-risk vulnerability**, **migration and settlement patterns**, and **policy-relevant household segmentation**. --- ## Research Objectives - Identify the primary reasons households settle near water bodies - Examine how demographic and economic factors relate to settlement motivations - Derive household typologies using clustering and MCA - Identify predictors of regulatory compliance (planning permits) - Analyze environmentally risky practices (e.g., river waste disposal) - Assess willingness to relocate and barriers to relocation --- ## Dataset - **Source:** Primary household survey (2025) - **Sample:** 323 households across water-adjacent informal communities - **Variables:** - Demographics (age, sex, education, religion, ethnicity) - Socioeconomic indicators (income, expenditure, occupation) - Settlement history (years lived, reason for settling) - Regulatory status (planning permit) - Environmental practices (waste disposal, flood exposure) - Perceived benefits and challenges - Relocation willingness --- ## Methods Used - **Descriptive statistics** (`dplyr`, `kableExtra`) - **Association testing:** - Fisher’s Exact Test (categorical variables) - K …