Agbogbloshie, one of the world’s largest electronic waste recycling sites, sits adjacent to Old Fadama, an informal settlement in Accra, Ghana. It is home to over 100,000 people, many of whom are migrants who work at or near the site. Despite hazardous working conditions, pollution, and health risks, Agbogbloshie continues to attract labor due to the livelihoods it sustains. As a result, Old Fadama is expanding rapidly, driven by the growing demand for e-waste recycling in Ghana's evolving industry.

This project will conduct a comprehensive dataset of labor, health, and economic variables of Old Fadama, addressing critical gaps in data to support informed, inclusive policy interventions. Researchers will collaborate with local authorities and academics to understand migration patterns, labor trends, and public health indicators to improve knowledge of the settlement’s socio-economic and environmental dynamics.

Using Qualtrics, the research team will collect and analyze data from over 800 households. The anonymized findings will be shared with the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and the University of Ghana, equipping city officials and academics with valuable insights to guide urban planning and scholarship.

In addition, by creating this foundational dataset, the project will enable long-term tracking of socio-spatial changes and support future studies on the impacts of electronic waste recycling on urban communities.

Project team: Brandon Marc Finn, PI (School for Environment and Sustainability); Emily Treleaven, co-I (Institute for Social Research); Dimitris Gounaridis (School for Environment and Sustainability); Suchir Gupta (University of Michigan student); Eden Gbeckor-Kove (Accra Metropolitan Assembly); Ebenezer Forkuo Amankwaa (University of Ghana)