Knowledge and information gaps in sanitation: Ghana

The government of Ghana has since the late eighties pursued an ambitious decentralisation programme which seeks to devolve all responsibilities for planning and implementation of environmental sanitation schemes to the provincial local governments (District Assemblies). The decentralisation effort has been accompanied by a reform of the water and sanitation sector with emphasis on decentralised planning of water and sanitation projects, cost recovery, community ownership and management and increased private sector involvement in the delivery of services. However, the general perception is that efforts at improving sanitation have not been successful in ensuring a sustained development of the sub-sector. Current policies and strategies have failed to develop the required capacity and ensure the mobilisation of resources for addressing the enormous challenges within the sub-sector. Indeed the fast rate of urbanisation and population growth has worsened the situation over the years. The WELL Resource Centre Network (RCN) is funded by the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DFID). The RCN provides service and resources for DFID and its partner agencies. Within the framework of WELL activities, TREND Group, a Resource Centre located in Ghana and a partner within the WELL Network, carried out a study of the sanitation sub-sector in Ghana between May and August 2002, to highlight the information and knowledge management gaps. This paper presents a brief summary of findings, analysis and recommendations.