Settlement systems and Linkages
Human settlements exist to perform some functions in the development process. They are essential vehicles for development and nation building. The district is made up of 136 communities with varying population sizes. According to the 2000 Population and Housing Census, there are only 4 communities that can be regarded as Towns (settlements whose population is at least 5000). About 132 communities have population below 5000 and they constitute about 66.3 percent of the total population in the district.

The four regarded towns alone constitute 33.7 percent of the population and are located in the South-Western portion of the district. Majority of the communities, both towns and villages, are concentrated in the South-Western portion of the district. However, the North-Eastern portion (Afram Plains) has isolated settlements and sparse population. Interestingly that portion forms about 65 percent of the total land surface of the district. About 9 centres serve the peripheral communities.

Available data indicate that Effiduase ranks first from 1960, 1970, 1984 and 2000. It is expected that with this trend in the development process, it would maintain its population. Kumawu, the second most populated town also maintained the second position. Bodomase maintained the third position in 1970, and 1984 but lost the position to Asokore in 2000.

This movement by Asokore may be due to the spill over from Effiduase, as currently the two settlements have become one spatial entity. Seniagya used to occupy the 5th position in 1970 and 1984 but lost to Oyoko in 2000. This may probably be due to spill over from Effiduase, described as the dormitory town. Woraso lost to Besoro in the 7th position in 1984 but surprisingly occupied the 6th position in 2000. Besoro which moved from the 8th position to the 7th position in 1984, currently occupies the 10th position.

Also, Sekyere which used to be the administrative headquarters is lagging behind in terms of population size and rank. Dadease and Drobonso are making giant move in the district population distribution.

The communities are linked by types of roads, footpaths and tractor tails. Currently, the total length of road is 185.2 km, of which 83.3 percent (167.1km) are classified as feeder roads. Over 85 percent of the feeder roads are concentrated in the south-western portion of the district. Furthermore, all the 31km tarred feeder roads are located within the same region.
 
The over concentration of roads and other facilities in the south-western portion attract population and investment. Communities in the north-eastern portion of the Afram Plains are linked mostly by footpaths and tractor trails, even though that portion forms about 65 percent of the total land surface in the district. With the exception of Anyinofi and Drobonso, the other locations are sparsely populated and isolated.

Settlement Hierarchy
Settlements are ordered according to the functions they perform in the development process. The number and levels of facilities and services available in a settlement determine the function of that settlement. According to the Poverty Profiling and Mapping (2004) of the district, Effiduase is the only first order settlement in the district which has 35 number of facilities and services and a total centrality of 3294. Asokore and Kumawu followed as the second order settlements. The third order settlements are Oyoko, Bodomase, Seniagya and Dadease. The rest of the settlements are in the fourth order as indicated in the scalogram. (Appendix 7)

Surface Accessibility to services
Economic and social development can be measured in terms of the ease at which one can move from one destination to another and enjoy a facility or facilities and come back. This is measured by the time one can use to travel (waiting time and traveling time). In the district, some locations are more accessible than others in terms of access to health, markets, postal services. The acceptable travel time is the maximum time one has to travel to enjoy a particular facility for access to be considered adequate. (See tables 1.10 and 1.11)

The range within which people can access the various facilities/services in a good (stipulated) time using the forms of transport (types of road) available to them has also been indicated (see table 1.12).

The table for example, shows that in the district only those within 2 km radius from the locatiorf of a second cycle school can reach there in 40 minutes. Those traveling on the feeder roads who can reach the Senior Secondary School (SSS) and/or Vocational institutions within the same stipulated time of 40 minutes are only those within a distance of 18 km from the location.

This is due to the condition of the roads and the frequency of transport on the roads. It may be interesting to know that someone on a tractor trail would prefer walking to taking a vehicle due to the effect of long waiting time for vehicles.

It is also indicated in the optimum accessibility map (See Appendix 8) that a small portion of the south-western part of the district can access all the services. About 95 percent of the district including the Afram Plains portion is cut off from accessing all the services. It is only Anyinofi and Drobonso that have adequate access to only one facility (Health Centre) in the Afram Plains.

Commodity Flows
The district is endowed with abundant natural resources, especially fertile soil for the production of a variety of crops like cocoa, maize, oil palm, vegetables, rice, plantain and others. The major economic activities identified in the district are crop farming, wood carving, charcoal burning and agro-processing (palm-oil, palm-kernel and gari).

Settlements like Anyinofi, Dagomba, Drobonso, Dawia, Hamidu, Fumsua, Mempeasem and other settlements in the Afram Plains portion of the district are noted for the production of maize, rice, yams, plantain and charcoal. However, due to the inaccessibility of the place, these produce cannot reach the distribution centres in the district.

The area cannot be reached easily because of poor condition of the road network, poor road linkage and absence of mode of transport. The vast land in the area and its potentials serve the adjoining districts, thus denying the district of potential revenue.

In the south-western part of the district, cocoa is dominant in all the settlements. Large quantities of palm oil and palm kernel oil are also extracted at Effiduase and Asokore, while Bodomase, Kumawu and Woraso are noted for the production of vegetables (tomatoes, cabbage, onion and others). Cane products are also produced massively at Sekyere and Banko.

It is only the south-western portion production centres that can transact economic and social activities. Transfer of finished products, service, raw materials and people from the point of distribution is easy in this zone. Exogenous commodities like vegetables, food stuffs and charcoal leave the District to other Districts. Also endogenous commodities like manufactured goods and second hand clothe enter the District from other adjoining Districts.
 
Manifestation of Levels and Locations of the Poor and Functional Regions
The District Poverty Profiling and Mapping, 2004 has indicated that poverty manifests itself in a greater proportion of the district. Based on some criteria used, six main poverty pockets were identified. The criteria used to carve out the six main pockets of poverty included:

• Access to facilities and services
• Major economic activities
• Potentials available as well as constraints
• Other peculiar characteristics like cultural practices, homogeneity/heterogeneity of areas and others.

The six main pockets of poverty included:

Pocket 1:
This region covers 65 percent of the district and consists of mainly isolated villages along tractor trails in the Afram Plains.
Key Poverty Problems:

• Poor road network and condition
• Poor access to facilities and services
• Large family sizes
• High illiteracy rate
• Unemployment and
• High birth rate

It is the region of hard core poverty due to the factors mentioned above.

Pocket 2:
This is almost the middle part of the district, covering Drobonso, Dagomba, Mamprusi and Anyinofi in the Afram Plains. Key Poverty Problems

• Poor road network and condition
• Poor access to facilities and services
• Large family sizes
• High illiteracy rate
• High birth rate

The level of poverty in this region is relatively better than that of pocket 1 due to the fact that it enjoys at least one of the facilities/services.

Pocket 3:
This region forms part of the south-western portion of the district, covering Daakoho, Seniagya and other neighbourhoods. Key Poverty Problems:

• Large family sizes
• High illiteracy rate
• Low patronage of produce
• Unemployment
• High birth rate
• Fair access to facilities

The area enjoys fair access to facilities and services.

Pocket 4:
This region covers part of the south-western portion of the district, covering Sekyere, Bomeng, Banko and others. Key Poverty Problems

• Fair access to facilitate and services
• Unemployment
• Large family sizes
• High illiteracy rates

This region has access to almost all the facilities and services.

Pocket 5:
This is located in the south-western part of the district, covering Kumawu, Bodomase and Woraso.
Key Poverty Problem

• Inadequate supply of potable water due to the nature of the geology of the area
• Fairly good access to facilities/services
• High birth rate
• High illiteracy rate

The level of poverty in this region is relatively better than the level of poverty in pocket 4/5 since they have access to almost all the facilities and services.

Pocket 6:
The region is located in the south-western part of the District covering Effiduase, Asokore, Oyoko and other towns. Key Poverty Problems

• Unemployment
• Large family sizes
• High illiteracy rate
• Social vices
• High birth rate

The region has access to all the facilities and services.

Functional Region
From the identified pockets, two locations can be identified as functional regions. These are pockets 5 and 6. The two regions form part of the south-western portion of the district. The regions cover Kumawu, Bodomase and Woraso (pocket 5), Effiduase, Asokore and Oyoko (pocket 6). This is the region where economic and social interactions take place in the District. The people in the two regions enjoy all the services available in the district. The two regions together form the core region serving the peripheral regions (other pockets).

Nature of Physical Development and Problems of Town Planning/Development Control
Physical/Spatial Planning and development in the district can be described as poor and unco¬ordinated. Almost all the settlements developed without planning schemes. Few communities like Effiduase, Oyoko, Asokore, Nsutem, and Bodomase have approved old layout, even here new sites are not covered.

Developers develop without building plans and  traveling time and distance traveling time and distance. The service centres are not interrelated to support each other. The economic sectors- Agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and service sectors are not integrated.

The economic and social conditions of Effiduase, Kumawu, Bodomase and Asokore are relatively better than the rest of the service centres. Anyinofi, the service centre for the Afram Plains portion of the District is the worst of all the poor service centres. In terms of public resource investment, Effiduase, Kumawu, Bodomase and Asokore have received their lion share. Attention has always been paid to the few locations in the south-west, to the neglect of the communities in the Afram Plains.

In terms of ecological change the Afram Plains portion is degrading at a faster rate, leading to savanna growth. This is due to bushfires and poor agronomic practices.

Linkage with other Districts
The district shares boundaries with nine districts, however, it is linked economically, socially and spatially with only two of the districts. Ejisu - Juaben and Afigya Sekyere Districts. In terms of economic activities, trade relationship in the district with these two districts is very strong. This is evident by commodities that flow among the districts. Residents within each of the three districts commute from one district to the other.

In terms of social activities residents in each district enjoy facilities and services like health, education, social centres and others from other districts. Spatially, the road linking the Ejisu - Juaben and Afigya Sekyere to Sekyere East is in good condition. The road is first class and high capacity making short traveling distance and time.

However, the people in the Afram Plains portion of the district, due to the inaccessible nature of the road between the plains and the communities in the south - west, easily interact with districts like Atebubu, Amanten, Asante Akim North, Sekyere West, and Kwame Danso and Afram Plains district. The Sekyere East District, therefore loses potential revenue to the bordering districts through trade and other economic and social activities.

Poverty Profiling/Mapping and Pro-Poor Programming
In 2004 the Assembly prepared a Poverty Profiling and Mapping document for the district. The document provided an invaluable insight into how poverty manifests itself among the different socio-economic groups in the district and how poverty is spatially distributed in the district. Views of stakeholders collected on poverty, its manifestations, causes, constraints and potentials when analyzed helped the Assembly to come out with various district specific pro-poor interventions.

The study revealed that poverty in the district manifests itself when:

• There are low income levels.
• There is malnourishment.
• There are unhygienic environment.
• There is deprivation of education and others.

It was also shown that poverty in the district is caused by large family sizes, lack of employment and employable skills, lack of credit facilities, ready market for produce and others.

The composite poverty map (Appendix 9) has shown that there is uneven distribution of population and facilities in the district. The south - western portion is densely populated and has most of the facilities, whilst the northern and central parts of the district are sparsely populated and deprived of most facilities.
 
Using tools like the composite poverty map analysis and a scalogram, certain areas that need to be developed (development notes) to open up the district in order to reduce poverty have been identified. (See table 1.14).

Expected Distribution of Services for 2006 - 2009
By 2009, it is expected that settlements like Anyinofi, as an Area Council head quarters would enjoy other facilities like Vocational/Technical Institute, dam, Enviro-Loo toilet, electricity, market and an Area Council office. Other settlements which hitherto have few or no facilities would also be provided with some facilities or expansion in facilities through the support of the Millennium Challenge Account. (See Appendices 10A and 10B).

Implications for Development

• Bye-laws and regulations on development control in the district should be enforced.
• The Assembly in collaboration with the traditional authorities should ensure that all the important settlements - Effiduase, Kumawu, Asokore, Bodomase, Banko, Woraso, Besoro and others have proper base maps and layouts to control spatial development.
• The road network in the north - eastern and central portions of the Afram Plains should attract serious attention of the Assembly, the government and development partners.
• The proposals in the 2004 District Poverty Profiling and Mapping document should be implemented.

For tables refer to pdf file attached