School of Public Leadership

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Browsing School of Public Leadership by Author "Acheampong, Ernst Nti"

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    Stakeholder engagement in sustainable urban water management in the Accra Metropolis, Ghana
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Acheampong, Ernst Nti; Swilling, Mark; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. School of Public Leadership.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : Over the last two decades, the Accra metropolis has experienced rapid population, urbanisation and economic growth that threatened the sustainable management of water and sanitation systems to deliver efficient services. Guided by the political ecology theory, this study explores the water system dynamics in Accra by examining the web of factors that rendered previous water management approach inadequate and prompted the search for an alternative way. The transdisciplinary research (TDR) process was adopted as the overarching research approach for this study. Fundamental to the operationalisation of the TDR process was the establishment of a learning platform that brought together diverse stakeholders for dialogue and deliberations on water issues in the metropolis. At the learning platform, an assemblage of research methods, including focus groups, dialogue, one-on-one consultation and surveys were used. Additional data were gathered from literature and national documents including reports, plans and strategies. The study showed that the Government of Ghana (GoG), overwhelmed by the mounting challenges and the declining capacity of water institutions to manage the water system began the water privatisation process to reform the water sector in 2005. A 5-year (2006 – 2011) Management Contract was signed between the government and a private entity, Aqua Viten Rand Limited (AVRL) to implement interventions that would help establish a financially self-sufficient urban water system capable of achieving at least five outcomes – improved water governance, efficient water supply, increased water coverage and access, reduced non-revenue water (NRW), and reduced water-related health risks. The analysis showed that interventions under Private Sector Management (PSM) fell short of fully achieving the desired outcomes. Based on the poor outcomes, a decision was made by the government to return urban water management to public ownership at the end of the contract period (2011). To kick-start a new public management regime, a new framework called the Water Sector Strategic Development Plan (WSSDP) was developed to guide the vision of providing sustainable access to clean water and basic sanitation for all urban citizens by 2025. Under this framework, the water managers in Accra implemented interventions inspired by the Sustainable Urban Water Management (SUWM) approach. Overall, the implementation of interventions under the WSSDP has been described as encouraging with considerable improvements in potable water volume supplied, water governance, and growing attention to sewage and wastewater management through public-private-partnerships. However, several areas that required further attention included addressing NRW, wastewater treatment and ecosystem integrity, among others. To address the gaps, a framework that defines the overall goal, key objectives and five interventions are presented. The interventions included - reducing unaccountedunaccounted-for water (UFW) UFW), c ost recovery and tariff adjustment , p ublic participation and awareness campaign , e xpansion of water treatment capacity , and r ehabilitation of wastewater treatment plants plants. Given the limited financial resources, water managers may need to identify the most cost cost-effective opt ion with maximum benefits. Based on the benefitbenefit-cost analysis, the study concludes that investments in cost recovery and water tariffs ad justment could generate maximum benefits at the lowest cost than the remaining interventions in the long term. Sustainable financing of the urban water system would require improved cost recovery from water consumers. Tariff increases are inevitable, however, consideration for targeted lifeline tariffs and subsidies to low-income residents could make cost recovery acceptable and realistic.