Improper land acquisition for development projects driving poverty, warns Prof. Essandoh

Professor Helen Michelle Korkor Essandoh, Director of the Regional Transport, Research and Education Centre (TRECK) at KNUST, has warned that improper land acquisition and resettlement processes for development projects are driving communities into poverty.

Speaking during a training program on Environmental and Social Risk Management—organized by TRECK in collaboration with the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and supported by the World Bank—Essandoh noted that developers often neglect the social and environmental risks associated with infrastructure expansion.

She emphasized that when land is taken, inhabitants lose more than just physical shelter; they lose businesses, farmlands, resources, and the social networks that sustain them. Essandoh stated that for development projects to reach their maximum benefit, resettlement must be handled in a way that minimizes negative impacts on livelihoods, particularly in developing countries where rapid expansion often encroaches on inhabited areas.