Community water supply in Volta Region

The provision of safe water for the majority of the population living in rural communities is a major challenge to the Government of Ghana. In an effort to address this issue several rural water and sanitation programmes have been initiated by Government and non-government organisations. One of such projects is the Volta Rural Water Supply and Sanitation (VRWSS) Project, which is a joint effort between the Ghana Government and DANIDA. The Project is being implemented in the Volta Region of Ghana which has a population of about 1.7 million (about ten per cent of the population of Ghana). About 80 per cent of the people of the Region live in rural communities with population less than 5000, which is the target number for the VRWSS Project. The Volta Region is divided into twelve administrative districts and the Project is being implemented in all twelve over a period of ten years (1992 - 2002). The Project aims at reaching the unreached communities in the Project area with potable water and improved sanitation facilities. The Project will also build the capacity of the communities to manage these facilities on their own to secure sustainability.