Local Participation and Sustainable Community Water Management in Peri-Urban Areas of the Greater Accra Region, Ghana

Local community participation and sustainability of peri-urban community-based water management encompasses known and unknown challenges. There is a common assumption that sustainable peri-urban water services will be achieved through local community participation. The principle of community-managed water supply system started, to gain its importance in early 1990s with the World Bank and development partners’ sponsored water supply projects. However, local community participation and sustainability (functionality rate) of peri-urban community-managed systems remain a significant challenge. The general objective of this study was to examine how local participation and water institutions affect the sustainability of peri-urban community-managed water supply systems in Greater Accra Region (GAR). The study was carried out in three communities: Abokobi, Oyarifa and Teiman in the Ga East District of the Greater Accra Region. The study used a combination of research designs such as survey, case study and phenomenology. To meet the objectives of the study, qualitative and quantitative methods were used for analysis. Factor analysis (Structural Equation Model [SEM]), thematic and logistic regression model was applied as analytical tools to examine local meanings of participation and stakeholders’ views on the concept of ‘participation’, scope of local community participation and the roles of water institutions. The research found that there is variation in viewing local meanings of participation within community members and stakeholders. Furthermore, there is a diverse interpretation and perception of the concept of ‘participation’ than normally assumed. Participation by local communities in decision-making especially at planning stage is minimal as compared to the implementation, operation and maintenance stages. Moreover, there is a clear relationship between local community participation and sustainability of peri-urban community-managed water system as local community participation increases, community awareness and spirit of ownership also increases. Water institutions are effective and play significant role in sustainability of peri-urban community-based water management. This study recommends that institutional relationships among Water Sanitation Management Team, District Assemblies (DAs) and project staff should be strengthened to suit the peri-urban community-based water management. The local community participation in peri-urban water projects cannot guarantee the same level of participation in other social community development projects because water is a basic need. The study concludes that there is a significant difference in the perception of the concept of ‘participation’ especially in relation to water issues between the local community and the stakeholders and also there is a clear relationship among the local community participation, the role of institutions and the sustainability of peri-urban community-managed water facilities. Any attempt to analyse local community participation and sustainability of community community-managed water system must be based on practical context rather than assumptions.