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

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• 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

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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

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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)

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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

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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

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• 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

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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 !!

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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

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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

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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