The water and sanitation sector of Ghana – what is missing from a governance perspective
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21696848 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Gertrude Amissah Asokwah (0009-0004-6486-1704, a Water and Sanitation Consultant. P.O Box NG 310, Accra-North, Accra, Ghana), Gabriel Osei Gyamfi (0009-0008-3459-2899, b Ghana National Petroleum Authority, Unified Petroleum Price Fund, Accra, Ghana), Mohammed Abubakari (0000-0003-1017-7857, University of Toronto Scarborough) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-05-16 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Water Policy (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1366-7017 • E-ISSN: 1996-9759 |
| Publisher | IWA Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.2166/wp.2026.169 |
| OpenAlex | W7167234206 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 28 |
The image compares the current and proposed future of water governance in Ghana. On the left, the current state highlights four challenges: fragmented institutions, political interference, weak accountability, and fiscal constraints. These issues result in a gap in achieving SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation). In the center, arrows show pathways for change: institutional realignment and empowerment, robust coordination, and justice-oriented accountability. On the right, the future state shows improvements: aligned institutional roles, coordinated governance, stronger capacity and accountability, and a better regulatory and fiscal system. These lead to progress toward SDG 6. Effective water and sanitation governance remains a global challenge, particularly where institutional fragmentation, fiscal constraints, and inequities undermine service delivery. We apply the Governance Network Theory and Environmental Justice Theory to examine these dynamics in Ghana. Drawing on policy analysis, institutional mapping, and stakeholder interviews, the findings highlight overlapping mandates, irregular transfers, political interference, and weak accountability as persistent barriers. Local governments also face resource and capacity deficits, while non-state actors fill gaps with mixed consequences. We propose a theoretically grounded framework centered on institutional realignment, robust coordination, and justice-oriented accountability as pathways to improve governance with positive implications for achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6 in Ghana and beyond
Accountability · Corporate governance · Politics · Sanitation · Stakeholder · Sustainable development · Child Nutrition and Water Access · Sustainability and Climate Change Governance · Water Governance and Infrastructure
Handbook on Inequality and the Environment
Relational public administration
Drops in the city
Environmental Justice
Climate Change, Environmental Justice, and Vulnerability
Economic aspects of virtual water trade
Governance Network Theory
Theorising complex water governance in Africa
Sen and Capabilities
Toward an Integrative Framework for Environmental Justice Research
Environmental governance for sustainable tourism development
Governance network theory
Social and Environmental Justice in Basic Sanitation
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |