Integrated water resources management in Ghana: Past, present, and the future

Abstract

This dissertation presents the development of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in Ghana. It presents realistic experiences of the opportunities and constraints to the implementation of IWRM. The institutional management of water is offered including analysis of related policies, the governmental structure, and the national framework for the management of water resources. Though Ghana is well gifted with significant freshwater resources, the challenges of speedy population growth, increased urbanization and industrialization, uncontrolled environmental degradation and pollution are principal to accelerated depletion and degradation of the available water resources. To meet the above challenges, the government of Ghana (GOG) must institute reforms in the water sector to ensure that water services are provided and managed with increased efficiency and cost effectiveness. These reforms and the changes towards IWRM are discussed in the paper. Limitations and opportunities are identified. The paper presents an idea for the future towards truly Integrated Water Resources Management. This includes the Sector Wide Approach to Planning; the idea for management at catchment or basin scale; cross-sectoral activities to develop confidence, increased information dissemination; and the approval of management tools and modeling techniques in IWRM. © 2010 ASCE.