Enhancing Water and Sanitation Governance through Community
Participation in the Savannah Region, Ghana
Dr Prosper Bazaanah
Water Research Institute, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Ghana
Future Africa Institute, University of Pretoria, South Africa
1. Introduction
Access to clean water and effective sanitation is a fundamental human right and crucial to public health and socio-economic development. In rural areas of Ghana, especially in regions like Central Gonja in the Savannah Region, ensuring these basic services remains a significant challenge. The lack of adequate water and sanitation services affects the population's health and hampers their ability to participate fully in economic activities, creating a cycle of poverty and vulnerability. Governance inefficiencies, a lack of transparency, and limited stakeholder engagement in decision-making processes compound these challenges. Addressing these challenges requires a comprehensive approach integrating community participation, governance reform, and infrastructure development.
In recent years, Ghana has made progress in expanding access to water and sanitation services, particularly in urban areas. However, rural regions, where infrastructure is less developed and governance systems are weaker, have not seen the same improvement. Local governance structures are crucial in managing water resources and sanitation systems in these areas. Yet, these structures often struggle with limited resources, lack of capacity, and weak community engagement. The result is a fragmented system with unreliable and unsustainable water and sanitation services. Community participation can enhance the governance and sustainability of water and sanitation systems and improve the effectiveness of existing governance structures. Exploring greater community involvement will address the critical challenges of access, transparency, and long-term maintenance of these services. By involving residents in decision-making processes, strategies could lead to more resilient and equitable water and sanitation systems.
Water governance in rural Ghana typically involves a range of stakeholders, from local authorities to community-based water management committees. However, the extent to which these stakeholders are engaged in meaningful decision-making varies widely. This has led to situations where critical decisions regarding water distribution, maintenance, and sanitation practices are made without adequate input from the communities most affected. Consequently, the systems in place are often poorly maintained, underfunded, and unsuitable for the population's needs. In this context, the study explored the practical barriers to water and sanitation access and the governance challenges that prevent the effective management of these systems. It underscores the importance of building trust between local communities and governance bodies through participatory governance models, transparency, and accountability. This introduction sets the stage for a deeper examination of rural communities' specific issues in Central Gonja and the potential solutions that could emerge from more inclusive and well-governed water and sanitation systems.
2. Context and Problem Statement
The Central Gonja District, located in the Savannah Region of Ghana, is predominantly rural, with agriculture being the primary source of livelihood for most residents. Despite its rich natural resources, the region has poor access to essential services, particularly water supply and sanitation. Households often depend on rivers, dams, and other surface water sources that are not treated, leaving the population vulnerable to waterborne diseases such as cholera and diarrhoea. Additionally, the region has a high rate of open defecation, further exacerbating the public health risks.
The problem is compounded by the significant distances many households must travel to access water. Community members, especially women and children, sometimes spend hours each day walking to and from water sources. This reduces the time available for other economic activities, such as farming, and negatively impacts children's education. Moreover, inadequate sanitation facilities and poor waste management practices lead to environmental degradation, further threatening the sustainability of water sources.
Governance issues lie at the heart of many of these challenges. Local water governance structures, including community-based water and sanitation committees, often lack the capacity, resources, and accountability to manage water and sanitation systems effectively. Many residents distrust these governance bodies due to issues related to transparency, inequitable resource distribution, and limited community involvement in decision-making processes. As a result, there is a disconnect between the needs of the community and the actions of those responsible for managing water and sanitation services. This requires addressing the technical and infrastructure challenges and tackling the governance issues at the root of the problem.
3. Data and Methods
The study employed a mixed-methods approach to gather comprehensive data on water and sanitation governance in the Central Gonja District. Quantitative data was collected through household surveys, while qualitative data was gathered via key expert interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). The household surveys targeted 400 households across several rural communities, focusing on their access to water, sanitation practices, and their perceptions of local governance structures. This provided a broad overview of the community's experiences and challenges related to water and sanitation.
Key expert interviews were conducted with 20 individuals who play significant roles in water and sanitation governance in the district. These included local government officials, members of water management committees, and representatives from NGOs and other relevant organisations. The interviews aimed to gain insight into the governance processes, the roles of different stakeholders, and the challenges faced in managing water and sanitation systems. The interviews also explored the perspectives of these stakeholders on how community participation could be improved to enhance system sustainability.
Focus group discussions were held separately for men and women to ensure that gender-specific issues could be addressed. These FGDs provided a platform for community members to express their views on governance, participation, and the effectiveness of water and sanitation services. By separating the discussions by gender, the study captured a more nuanced understanding of the challenges men and women face in accessing water and sanitation services and participating in governance processes. The data collection also included participatory governance mapping exercises, where community members co-developed participatory system mappers (PRSM). These mappers helped identify the key factors influencing water and sanitation governance in their communities, including the governance structures' strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The PRSM exercises fostered a deeper understanding of community priorities and the interventions required to improve governance and service delivery. The data analysis focused on identifying patterns and correlations between community participation, governance effectiveness, and the sustainability of water and sanitation systems. This approach allowed for a comprehensive understanding of the governance challenges in the district and the potential for improving system sustainability through greater community involvement.
4. Key finding from a sample study
Several critical issues affect community water and sanitation governance in the Central Gonja District:
Many households (approximately 57%) rely on water sources more than 16 minutes away, with many reporting that they travel over 20 minutes per round trip to collect water. Long distances reduce economic activities, a burden disproportionately affecting women and children primarily responsible for water collection. There is also an increase in the risk of exposure to waterborne diseases, as most households do not treat their water before consumption.
The limited effectiveness of local water governance structures creates problems. Community water governance bodies are rated and perceived as moderately effective, with a 33% ineffective rating. These relate to challenges such as poor transparency, inadequate resource distribution, and a lack of accountability, which were frequently cited as reasons for this dissatisfaction.
Governance bodies are often perceived as disconnected from the needs of the community. Decision-making processes are thus also perceived as opaque and exclusive.
Gender disparities in these communities must be noted. Women play a crucial role in water management at the household level, yet they are often excluded from formal decision-making processes. Exclusion is rooted in cultural norms and governance practices prioritising male leadership. Voices of women need to inform decisions regarding water and sanitation infrastructure.
Stakeholder engagement is critical in the sustainability of water and sanitation systems. Communities with more inclusive and participatory governance structures report higher satisfaction with services and greater willingness to contribute to system maintenance. However, most governance structures in the district do not actively engage community members, particularly women and other marginalised groups, in decision-making processes. This lack of engagement weakens community ownership of water and sanitation systems, leading to poor maintenance and frequent service interruptions.
Better infrastructure and technical capacity are needed in the district. Water systems, particularly boreholes, are in disrepair due to a lack of maintenance and technical expertise. The cost of repairing these systems is often prohibitive, and local governance bodies do not have the financial resources to address these issues. This has led to widespread service disruptions, further exacerbating the challenges faced by the community in accessing clean water and sanitation services.
While local governance structures exist, their effectiveness is undermined by several factors, including insufficient funding, lack of technical expertise, and inadequate community engagement. Governance bodies often cannot perform routine maintenance on water infrastructure, leading to frequent breakdowns and service interruptions.
Trust erosion between the community and governance structures creates a vicious cycle in which poor governance leads to inadequate services and less community support and engagement.
5. Recommendations
Several policy recommendations are proposed to address the challenges identified in the study:
Improving community participation in governance is essential. This can be achieved by establishing regular forums for community engagement, where residents can provide input on water and sanitation management decisions. Particular attention should be given to ensuring that women and other marginalised groups are included in these discussions. In fostering greater inclusivity, governance structures can build trust with the community and improve the overall sustainability of water and sanitation systems.
Capacity-building programs should be implemented to strengthen local water management bodies' technical and governance capacities. Training programs for local leaders, water committees, and community members can enhance their ability to effectively manage and maintain water infrastructure. These programs should focus on the technical aspects of water system management and the governance processes needed to ensure transparency and accountability in decision-making.
There is a need for greater transparency and accountability within governance structures. Local authorities and water management bodies should adopt transparent and open resource allocation, decision-making, and reporting processes. This can be achieved by establishing monitoring and evaluation systems that track the performance of water and sanitation services and ensure that community members are informed about how resources are used. Transparency is critical to building community trust and ensuring that governance structures are responsive to the population's needs.
Infrastructure investment is critical to improving water and sanitation access in the district. In collaboration with external partners such as NGOs and the private sector, the government should prioritise constructing and maintaining water infrastructure, including boreholes, latrines, and waste disposal facilities. Investing in infrastructure upgrades will not only improve service delivery but also reduce the time and effort required by households, particularly women, to access clean water.
Public education campaigns should be launched to raise awareness about the importance of water treatment, hygiene, and proper sanitation practices. These campaigns can be conducted through community meetings, radio broadcasts, and school programs, emphasising the public health benefits of improved water and sanitation practices. By educating the population, particularly in rural areas, these initiatives can help reduce the prevalence of waterborne diseases and improve overall public health outcomes in the district.
6. Conclusion
The findings from the study highlight the critical need for a shift towards more inclusive and participatory governance in the district water and sanitation sector. Current governance structures are viewed as insufficient, with issues of transparency, accountability, and community engagement undermining the effectiveness and sustainability of water and sanitation systems. The exclusion of women and other marginalised groups from decision-making processes further exacerbates these challenges despite their primary role in managing water at the household level. Additionally, inadequate infrastructure and technical capacity contribute to frequent service disruptions, placing a heavy burden on households, particularly regarding time spent fetching water and exposure to waterborne diseases due to untreated water sources.
