Water and Sanitation in Ghana

Luke Brown is working in Tamale, the largest city in northern Ghana, with a population of around 215,000 people. The northern part of Ghana is generally considered poorer than southern Ghana, and lacking in political and economic clout on the national stage. In the dry season, the landscape is fairly sparse, with little greenery. As you head south, vegetation grows denser, as does the population. In the country of 19 million people, approximately 9 million Ghanaians lack access to potable water. Water access in the North is particularly difficult, as underground water sources are extremely hard to find.

Luke is partnered with the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), a governmental body dedicated to providing access to safe drinking water to every rural community and village in Ghana. In order to accomplish this, they are facilitating the installation of boreholes with handpumps to draw water from safe underground sources. They are also working to improve sanitation in these communities through the installation of latrines, coupled with public education seminars on good hygiene practices. Using this approach, the CWSA is seeking to improve the health of the rural poor: firstly by helping them gain access to clean water, and secondly, by helping them understand that clean water alone is not enough to prevent disease transmission—good hygiene is a key factor.

EWB's Role:

Luke's work focuses on ensuring that the solutions delivered to communities are as high of quality as possible: this means visiting towns and villages, monitoring the quality of pumps and overseeing latrine construction. The CWSA is also a key player in facilitating communication and coordination between the different stakeholders (for instance, between regional government and the individual communities)—Luke is responsible to increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of this facilitative role, to ensure that everyone's voice is heard.