Can we grow smart cities in Ghana?
Urbanisation is happening at the speed of light with a resultant growth in the number of cities around the country.
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According to Ghana’s Population and Housing Census 2010 report, the proportion of the population living in urban areas is 50.9 per cent in comparison to 2000, where the proportion of urban dwellers was 43.8 per cent.
The level of urbanisation in Ghana is increasing. This means there are unsustainable demands on cities manifested in the inability of public services to cope with this growth. Smart cities powered by advancement in affordable new digital technologies can provide remarkable advantages to improve infrastructure and services for burgeoning cities.
What is a Smart City?
There is no universal definition of what ‘smart city’ is. It appears to be one of the phenomenons that are fluid and means different things to different persons. Similarly various countries have contrary definitions. However, no matter the definition in use, a smart city is expected to have the following characteristics, according to http://smartcities.gov.in/writereaddata/What%20is%20Smart%20City.pdf :
adequate water supply, assured electricity supply, sanitation (including solid waste management), efficient urban mobility and public transport, affordable housing ( especially for the poor), robust IT connectivity and digitalisation, good governance(particularly e-Governance and citizen participation), sustainable environment, safety and security of citizens (especially women, children and the elderly), and health and education.
The bedrock of any smart city is prudent utilisation of resources and sustainable smart applications which rely on the use of new digital technologies, big data and powerful analytic tools.
These support such cities to improve resilience, reliability, access to limited resources and spaces in urban areas and the reliable flow of electricity and potable water. It boosts waste management, makes traffic and transport systems and other key public services more efficient.
E - Governance and smart citizens services
A city can provide better services to its citizens within the framework of smart cities. Where the provision of timely public information on services available to the inhabitants of a city such as health, water, sanitation, education, entertainment etc. are important to the use of information, technology and data, can help set up a real time grievance system, which will provide feedback to public service providers when there are issues with quality of service delivery.
In this way, the city is given a unique opportunity to be responsive to the needs of its citizens.
Also the rollout of smart city advantages will mean a city is able to provide electronic services to its inhabitants covering services such as birth and death registrations, permits, licensing among others. A smart city is better equipped to undertake enhanced citizens engagement and rely on its citizens to serve as its eyes and ears in crime prevention.
Water and Energy Management
Within smart cities, public service delivery organisations such as water and electricity companies are able to deploy smart meters, which are internet-enabled devices that measure, water and electricity usage at the point of consumption.
The companies are able to monitor real time consumption of users with the option of adjusting prices based on supply and demand. For example, when it is very hot, most users consume high volumes of electricity by powering up their air conditioners and other cooling devices, the electricity company could increase in response to this high demand.
Users whose buildings are “green” that are designed not to rely on air conditioners at all times will benefit from not paying this high peak tariff thus increasing service delivery efficiency and equity.
Challenges
Lack of long-term plans, coupled with innovative thinking, leadership and investment are some of the factors preventing the rapid rollout of smart cities in Ghana. Other challenges include lack of high-speed telecommunications networks, know-how, costs, security and privacy.
Technology per se doesn’t make a city smart, it is more about ‘smart citizens’ who are able to give up their old bad behaviours and focus on smart behaviors such as following rules and regulations, finding sustainable ways of using lumber, supporting progressive changes in their communities and becoming active citizens who will demand accountability from city leaders.
The concept of smart city is also problematic to define, which makes it difficult to find a standard to measure progress in a universal manner.
Conclusion
“Smart city“ concept and practice is now a norm in a number of cities around the world since it offers innovative and cost effective approaches to managing cities.
As more and more citizens leave rural areas for urban areas in Ghana, management of cities is going to be very important in meeting an increased demand for improved public services delivery. The concept of ‘smart cities’ powered by Information and communication technologies can provide a solution for cities as they strive to meet the growing needs of their citizens in a sustainable manner.