Water for African Cities update

A typical street in Sabon Zongo.

Credit: WaterAid / Mohammed Aminu Lukumanu

By Ebenezer Kankam-Appiah and Rose Adisenu-Doe

A three-year water and sanitation project, Water for African Cities, has commenced in Accra suburb Sabon Zongo. The project aims to provide water and sanitation services to deprived urban communities and actively seeks to involve them in the process.

Water for African Cities is a joint UN-HABITAT and Ghana Government project involving several partners, including WaterAid Ghana, Ghana Water Company Limited, Ghana Education Service and the Water Resources Commission.

The project started in October 2006 and is expected to be completed in September 2009. The people of Sabon Zongo, with a population of about 18,000 people, will benefit immensely from the project.

The problem

Sabon Zongo, like many other urban slums in Ghana, suffers from inadequate refuse collection and disposal systems, as witnessed by the overflowing storage bins, bad smell, and prevalence of rodents and scavengers. There are also insufficient drainage systems, with waste water from bathrooms and kitchens spilling onto roads and walkways, creating unsightly pools of waste water. Most drains are blocked with refuse. There are very few toilet facilities, and the public toilets that do exist typically have long queues and are unhygienic.

Aiming at a solution

Now in the second phase of Water for African Cities, the project will use the lessons learned during the first phase to increase access to good drinking water and proper sanitation facilities on a sustainable basis. The project is expected to be replicated in other regions and will hopefully trigger investment in the sector to meet the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy Goals (GPRS) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The main components of Water for African Cities involve implementing pro-poor governance for water supply and sanitation services. The project aims to:

• Promote gender mainstreaming
• Increase access to sanitation facilities
• Increase access to good drinking water
• Manage water demand
• Manage urban catchments
• Create awareness on water and sanitation issues through water, sanitation and hygiene education

Progress

A community development committee was formed in June 2007 to manage the systems on the ground and facilitate community mobilisation processes. A number of community meetings to promote the project were also organised.

An initial challenge confronting the project's implementation was the question of ownership, leading to conflicts between the Ablekuma Central Sub-Metropolitan Council and the community development committee. There has also been the issue of squatters on land earmarked for the project, and negotiations regarding their relocation have been difficult. In addition, some areas intended for the construction of drains are occupied by petty traders operating from kiosks.

The construction phase is due to commence in March 2008. Read more about the construction progress here.

A major lesson for organisations looking to undertake projects in similar settings is that, apart from involving the local authorities at all stages of the project activities, attention should be paid to existing governance structures and procedures to avoid unnecessary conflicts, litigation and delays.