Water is Life: Situation Analysis of Access to Household Water Supply in the Wa Municipality, Ghana

Enoch Akwasi Kosoe; Issaka Kanton Osumanu

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11

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Water is Life: Situation Analysis of Access to Household Water Supply in the Wa Municipality, Ghana

Enoch Akwasi Kosoe, Issaka Kanton Osumanu

Published in International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy (Volume 3, Issue 1)

Received: 21 January 2015 Accepted: 29 January 2015 Published: 15 February 2015

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Abstract

Far too many people in urban Ghana live without access to safe drinking water and this is a primary determinant of continuing poverty. Using questionnaire survey and key informant interviews, this study explored the situation of households’ access to potable water supply in the Wa Municipality, a low-income urban area in north-west Ghana. This study highlights several important issues on access to water supply focusing on availability, accessibility and cost. A clustered sample of residential areas of the municipality was employed and the study was able to examine spatial disparities in access to water supply. The results indicate that access to potable water supply in the municipality is generally high as only 13 percent of households depend on open wells as their main source. Also, the private sector (individuals and non-governmental organizations) are major players in public water supply in the municipality. In spite of the progress made in access to potable water supply, distance and cost of water remain serious challenges confronting households. The study recognizes that private individuals create additional water facilities to augment public supplies, but the positive impacts on health and livelihoods could be greater if access to finance could be facilitated. Most importantly, water supply improvement strategies should incorporate an integrated vision, which sees adequate and quality water both as a goal in itself and as a contributor to economic and social development through gains in public health.

Published in	International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy (Volume 3, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11
Page(s)	1-13
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Accessibility, Health, Households, Urbanization and Water Supply

References

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Enoch Akwasi Kosoe, Issaka Kanton Osumanu. (2015). Water is Life: Situation Analysis of Access to Household Water Supply in the Wa Municipality, Ghana. International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy, 3(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11

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ACS Style

Enoch Akwasi Kosoe; Issaka Kanton Osumanu. Water is Life: Situation Analysis of Access to Household Water Supply in the Wa Municipality, Ghana. Int. J. Environ. Prot. Policy 2015, 3(1), 1-13. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11

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AMA Style

Enoch Akwasi Kosoe, Issaka Kanton Osumanu. Water is Life: Situation Analysis of Access to Household Water Supply in the Wa Municipality, Ghana. Int J Environ Prot Policy. 2015;3(1):1-13. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11,
  author = {Enoch Akwasi Kosoe and Issaka Kanton Osumanu},
  title = {Water is Life: Situation Analysis of Access to Household Water Supply in the Wa Municipality, Ghana},
  journal = {International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy},
  volume = {3},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-13},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijepp.20150301.11},
  abstract = {Far too many people in urban Ghana live without access to safe drinking water and this is a primary determinant of continuing poverty. Using questionnaire survey and key informant interviews, this study explored the situation of households’ access to potable water supply in the Wa Municipality, a low-income urban area in north-west Ghana. This study highlights several important issues on access to water supply focusing on availability, accessibility and cost. A clustered sample of residential areas of the municipality was employed and the study was able to examine spatial disparities in access to water supply. The results indicate that access to potable water supply in the municipality is generally high as only 13 percent of households depend on open wells as their main source. Also, the private sector (individuals and non-governmental organizations) are major players in public water supply in the municipality. In spite of the progress made in access to potable water supply, distance and cost of water remain serious challenges confronting households. The study recognizes that private individuals create additional water facilities to augment public supplies, but the positive impacts on health and livelihoods could be greater if access to finance could be facilitated. Most importantly, water supply improvement strategies should incorporate an integrated vision, which sees adequate and quality water both as a goal in itself and as a contributor to economic and social development through gains in public health.},
 year = {2015}
}

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TY  - JOUR
T1  - Water is Life: Situation Analysis of Access to Household Water Supply in the Wa Municipality, Ghana
AU  - Enoch Akwasi Kosoe
AU  - Issaka Kanton Osumanu
Y1  - 2015/02/15
PY  - 2015
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11
T2  - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
JF  - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
JO  - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
SP  - 1
EP  - 13
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-7536
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11
AB  - Far too many people in urban Ghana live without access to safe drinking water and this is a primary determinant of continuing poverty. Using questionnaire survey and key informant interviews, this study explored the situation of households’ access to potable water supply in the Wa Municipality, a low-income urban area in north-west Ghana. This study highlights several important issues on access to water supply focusing on availability, accessibility and cost. A clustered sample of residential areas of the municipality was employed and the study was able to examine spatial disparities in access to water supply. The results indicate that access to potable water supply in the municipality is generally high as only 13 percent of households depend on open wells as their main source. Also, the private sector (individuals and non-governmental organizations) are major players in public water supply in the municipality. In spite of the progress made in access to potable water supply, distance and cost of water remain serious challenges confronting households. The study recognizes that private individuals create additional water facilities to augment public supplies, but the positive impacts on health and livelihoods could be greater if access to finance could be facilitated. Most importantly, water supply improvement strategies should incorporate an integrated vision, which sees adequate and quality water both as a goal in itself and as a contributor to economic and social development through gains in public health.
VL  - 3
IS  - 1
ER  -

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Author Information

Enoch Akwasi Kosoe

Department of Environment and Resource Studies, University for Development Studies, Wa, Ghana
Issaka Kanton Osumanu

Department of Environment and Resource Studies, University for Development Studies, Wa, Ghana

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APA Style

Enoch Akwasi Kosoe, Issaka Kanton Osumanu. (2015). Water is Life: Situation Analysis of Access to Household Water Supply in the Wa Municipality, Ghana. International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy, 3(1), 1-13. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11

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ACS Style

Enoch Akwasi Kosoe; Issaka Kanton Osumanu. Water is Life: Situation Analysis of Access to Household Water Supply in the Wa Municipality, Ghana. Int. J. Environ. Prot. Policy 2015, 3(1), 1-13. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11

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AMA Style

Enoch Akwasi Kosoe, Issaka Kanton Osumanu. Water is Life: Situation Analysis of Access to Household Water Supply in the Wa Municipality, Ghana. Int J Environ Prot Policy. 2015;3(1):1-13. doi: 10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11

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@article{10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11,
  author = {Enoch Akwasi Kosoe and Issaka Kanton Osumanu},
  title = {Water is Life: Situation Analysis of Access to Household Water Supply in the Wa Municipality, Ghana},
  journal = {International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy},
  volume = {3},
  number = {1},
  pages = {1-13},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijepp.20150301.11},
  abstract = {Far too many people in urban Ghana live without access to safe drinking water and this is a primary determinant of continuing poverty. Using questionnaire survey and key informant interviews, this study explored the situation of households’ access to potable water supply in the Wa Municipality, a low-income urban area in north-west Ghana. This study highlights several important issues on access to water supply focusing on availability, accessibility and cost. A clustered sample of residential areas of the municipality was employed and the study was able to examine spatial disparities in access to water supply. The results indicate that access to potable water supply in the municipality is generally high as only 13 percent of households depend on open wells as their main source. Also, the private sector (individuals and non-governmental organizations) are major players in public water supply in the municipality. In spite of the progress made in access to potable water supply, distance and cost of water remain serious challenges confronting households. The study recognizes that private individuals create additional water facilities to augment public supplies, but the positive impacts on health and livelihoods could be greater if access to finance could be facilitated. Most importantly, water supply improvement strategies should incorporate an integrated vision, which sees adequate and quality water both as a goal in itself and as a contributor to economic and social development through gains in public health.},
 year = {2015}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Water is Life: Situation Analysis of Access to Household Water Supply in the Wa Municipality, Ghana
AU  - Enoch Akwasi Kosoe
AU  - Issaka Kanton Osumanu
Y1  - 2015/02/15
PY  - 2015
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11
DO  - 10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11
T2  - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
JF  - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
JO  - International Journal of Environmental Protection and Policy
SP  - 1
EP  - 13
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2330-7536
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijepp.20150301.11
AB  - Far too many people in urban Ghana live without access to safe drinking water and this is a primary determinant of continuing poverty. Using questionnaire survey and key informant interviews, this study explored the situation of households’ access to potable water supply in the Wa Municipality, a low-income urban area in north-west Ghana. This study highlights several important issues on access to water supply focusing on availability, accessibility and cost. A clustered sample of residential areas of the municipality was employed and the study was able to examine spatial disparities in access to water supply. The results indicate that access to potable water supply in the municipality is generally high as only 13 percent of households depend on open wells as their main source. Also, the private sector (individuals and non-governmental organizations) are major players in public water supply in the municipality. In spite of the progress made in access to potable water supply, distance and cost of water remain serious challenges confronting households. The study recognizes that private individuals create additional water facilities to augment public supplies, but the positive impacts on health and livelihoods could be greater if access to finance could be facilitated. Most importantly, water supply improvement strategies should incorporate an integrated vision, which sees adequate and quality water both as a goal in itself and as a contributor to economic and social development through gains in public health.
VL  - 3
IS  - 1
ER  -

Copy | Download