water user associations in northern ghana: from institutional panacea to reality check - ernest nti...
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Water for a food-secure world
Water User Associations in Northern Ghana: From Institutional Panacea to Reality Check
Ernest Nti Acheampong and Jean-Philippe Venot
IWMI- West AfricaAccra, Ghana
Theme 3: Water and SocietyCTA Annual Seminar
Johannesburg, 22-26 November, 2010
Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world
• Background to the study
• Paradigm Shift/ WUAs as Institutional Panaceas
• History and Distribution of Small Reservoirs
• Small Reservoir Performance/ WUAs presence
• Water User Associations: “Institutional Blueprint”
• Conditions for Collective Action
• Conclusion
Contents
Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world
Background…In sub-Saharan Africa….
• Impact on Government Expenditure/ Resources: Due to harsh political and Socio-economic conditions
• Dwindling national resources to subsidize inputs and service provision to irrigation and water sectors
• Poor performance and/or collapse of State managed large scale operated water and irrigation schemes
Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world
Policy Changes
• Reforms in Water and Irrigation sectors policies (national and international) over the last three decades.
• Implementation of Policy Changes at the national levels– Structural Adjustment Programme(SAPs) – Poverty Reduction Strategies Programme (PRSPs)
• Shift from Large Scale Irrigation systems to Smallholder irrigation developments; – dependent to a large extent on the innovativeness of individual farmers – emerging technologies and market forces.
• Devolution of water resources management from;– State-led irrigation schemes to community-led schemes.– Centralized approach to decentralized and participatory approach – Emergence of Water Users Associations (WUAs)
Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world
Small Reservoirs: An integral component of rural Ghana...
Purpose:• livestock watering; Domestic use • Drought proofing mechanisms;• Small Scale Irrigation;• Increasing food security and; • Poverty reduction
Small Reservoirs in Ghana (+ 3500)
• > 1,000 small dams (irrigation system)
• > 2,500 small dugouts (no irrigation system)
• > 5000 ha potential area of irrigation
• > 1,500 sites reported area under irrigation
Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world
Historical Development of Small Reservoir in Ghana
1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 20100
100
200
300
400
500
600Small dams Ghana (N=536)
Dams and dugouts UER & UWR (N=367)
Small dams UER & UWR (N=298)
< 1 Mm3
< 50 ha
3 main phases of construction•Post Independence era
•1966-1991: “Status Quo”
•1991-2001 (3 per year)
• Post 2001 (5 per year): 116 (out of 350) new/rehabilitated sites in the UER/UWR
Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world
• Regional Analysis• Analysis of existing databases• Upper East and West Regions• ˜ 350 sites identified
• Development of a secondary database• Participatory appraisal with AEA and field visits• Use of small dams and performance levels• Maintenance of infrastructures• Modes of management
• Qualitative field surveys (24 sites)• Key informants interviews
• Partners: MoFA-GIDA, UDS, KNUST
Research Activities
Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world
Performance & WUAs presence/ Effectiveness
1 2 3 4 5Performance Rating
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Small Reservoir UE & UW (N=354)
50-55%
POOR GOOD
1 2 3 4 5Performance Rating
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
WUA Effective WUA
Perc
enta
ge
Level of WUA effectiveness
Many WUAs are dormant/ have collapsed !!
Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world
Be adaptable• Provide multiple organizational options• Promote coordination with traditional authorities• Promote coordination with other levels of authority
Institutional Bricolage…..… WUA cannot do it all1% 2%
28%
5%
3%22%
1%
4%
4%
12%
9%
7%
2%Local Authority
Ministry of Agric
WUAs
Traditional Chief
Land Priest (Tindana)
Community
Individuals
Local Authority & others
Ministry of Agric & others
WUAs & other
Chief & others
Land Priest & others
Elders/ Opinion leaders
Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world
Condition for collective action….
• Improve social inclusion, improve access, equity and reduce vulnerability
• WUAs platform for political party mobilization
• Extra-rational behavior of individuals stimulate organization
• Market access and systems arrangement
• Farmer’s level of education or knowledge about WUAs
Water for a food-secure worldWater for a food-secure world
Conclusion• Devolution of local commons’ management has
a high tendency to improve efficiency and equity
• No single institutional pillar panacea (WUAs)
• Diagnostic approach in the analysis of institutional arrangements in a dynamic, socio-political and cultural setting.
• Financial and capacity support by the State is crucial
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