Citizen participation dilemmas in water governance: An empirical case of Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract

Highlights Citizen participation offers a valuable pathway for equitable and sustainable water delivery. There is an increase in institutional search for ideal approaches to enhance local inputs in water decisions. Findings from the study show that citizens are willing to participate in decision-making on water-related process. Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) focuses more on the technical aspect of water delivery than the social aspect. Understanding of the trade-offs between institutional priorities and citizens’ involvement is a critical step.

Rural water project planning and evaluation in Ghana: a new methodological perspective

“…Also, NWP specifies the approaches in which organisations and local government can share the responsibilities in the planning, design, and management of water resources with local communities. The recognition of local-level participation is anchored by the principle of subsidiarity which encourages the lowest appropriate level in society to participate in decisions that affect them actively (Okyere et al, 2019;Erdiaw-Kwasie et al, 2020). However, this study found that the translation of the NWP's policy goals on local resident participation in water governance programs remains a major challenge.…”

“…Here, as in studies elsewhere, the medium of engagement (e.g. community meetings) matters when active and full participation of beneficiaries in community-based water projects is envisaged (Adams & Zulu, 2015;Finewood, 2016, Erdiaw-Kwasie et al, 2020. Also, residents of Piase indicated that they were actively engaged during project evaluation because it was a major condition for additional funding by partners.…”

O caráter adaptativo da governança das águas em sistemas hídricos locais

“…Isto sugere uma atenção multinível da condição que os sistemas terão de responder aos cenários de mudanças e a forma que as decisões serão tomadas e implementadas. A presença dessas características associadas à governança das águas sugere uma maior habilidade dos sistemas conseguirem responder às transições no âmbito ecológico (Gunderson, 2000), fortalecer a tomada de decisão com o conhecimento e aceitação dos atores pertencentes ao sistema (Porras et al, 2019;Erdiaw-Kwasie et al, 2020), além de equidade e justiça nas ações acordadas.…”

Actor‐network analysis of community‐based organisations in health pandemics: evidence from the COVID‐19 response in Freetown, Sierra Leone

“…Complicating matters further, cities in Sub‐Saharan Africa are considered to be among the most vulnerable to health disasters owing to the old but persistent structural ills of ‘urbanisation without development’ (Boadi et al, 2005, p. 465), inadequate planning for health disasters (Cobbinah, Erdiaw‐Kwasie, and Adams, 2021), a lack of integration of urban planning and public health interventions (Anaafo, Owusu‐Addo, and Takyi, 2021), and deficits in basic infrastructure, such as the water supply and sanitation (Satterthwaite, Sverdlik, and Brown, 2019; UN‐Habitat, 2020). These persist amidst weak governance systems—characterised by ineffective planning and coordination with sector agencies—and inadequate resources to confront proactively the structural challenges that expose residents to health disasters (Dodman et al, 2017; Erdiaw‐Kwasie et al, 2020).…”