HOUSEHOLDS MULTIPLE-USE WATER SERVICES AND LIVELIHOODS IN THE LAWRA DISTRICT IN THE UPPER WEST REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

Historically, water delivery to communities has been designed for single use. Nevertheless, households have an integrated need for water. As a result, systems that were designed for single use either for domestic or irrigation were finally transformed into de facto multiple-use by community members. Therefore the purpose of the study was to explore households multiple use water services (MUS) and how it can be used to improve rural livelihoods in the Lawra District in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The study aimed to answer four major questions following the qualitative case study methodology which has been extensively used in multiple uses of water research. Non-probability sampling techniques were used to select five communities in the district. The findings revealed that the uses of water for the households were for both domestic and productive activities as opposed to how the water sector is organized. The research confirmed that MUS does positively impact health and economic productivity and that households need additional water facilities or the redesigning of old delivery systems for multiple uses. The study concluded that an integrated approach that supports both domestic and productive water uses will have a positive impact on its intended beneficiaries. It is recommended that provision of additional water facilities be prioritized because the current water supply systems are inadequate, partially functioning or non-functional. Also, there is need for adequate coordination between stakeholders in the implementation of MUS activities and the participatory level of beneficiary households must be increased through transformative representation.