Demand Responsive Approach and its Significance for Sustainable Management of Water Facilities in the Shai-Osudoku District

Abstract

Demand Responsive Approach (DRA), adopted as a policy for rural water delivery in Ghana, is an attempt within a decentralized programme to improve the efficiency of service supply and also to make users take key decisions about the service they want and are willing and able to pay for. This study was conducted in communities where the DRA had been applied under the National Community Water and Sanitation Programme (NCWSP) in the Shai-Osudoku District of Ghana. The aim was to examine the conditions under which DRA leads to improved functionality, the suitability of the approach for rural communities and the changes in the patterns of water usage. Data was collected using purposive sampling from two hundred households in four communities in addition to FGDs and key informant interviews. Descriptive statistics and probit regression was used to determine the socioeconomic factors influencing households’ ability to pay for water and factors which affected the use of water. The study established among other findings that community members participated in the implementation of the facilities in various aspects: an expression of demand. Respondents indicated the water facilities were of good quality in terms of durability, flow and taste; however, financial management is a major setback. Generally the water needs of the communities are met. It was also realised households which were closer to the facilities in general used more of the water from the facilities. The study recommends an institutional coordination and collaboration among stakeholders, education and training for committee members, equity concerns should be addressed and external support to be factored in rural water delivery.