Urgent reforms needed to deliver Ghana’s new water policy – Water Ministry
Mr. Kwabena Gyasi-Duku, Acting Director at the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, has called for urgent reforms and national commitment to fully implement Ghana’s revised National Water Policy.
Speaking at the 106th National Level Learning Alliance Platform (NLLAP) in Accra, Mr. Gyasi-Duku underscored the policy’s critical role in addressing long-standing challenges in Ghana’s water sector and in delivering sustainable solutions, particularly for underserved populations. He noted that access to safe water must be treated not only as a supply issue but as a pressing public health concern. He also stressed the importance of focusing on “last mile” communities often rural and marginalised areas that remain beyond the reach of formal water infrastructure. Mr. Gyasi-Duku called for measurable targets to ensure that these communities are reached effectively. He emphasized the need for shared responsibility in addressing the crisis: “Every household and institution must be involved in achieving national water goals.”
Dr. Tony Tsekpetse, who facilitated the session, highlighted the urgent need for improved institutional learning and accountability within the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector. He called for a shift from isolated project-based successes to a system-wide approach that delivers lasting impact. Dr. Tsekpetse further stressed the importance of ensuring that knowledge-sharing leads to tangible results. “We must move from learning to doing,” he said, calling for stronger accountability mechanisms to ensure follow-through on commitments.
The forum, held under the theme “Driving Access and Equity in Water: The Enabling Environment for Reaching Last-Mile Communities in Ghana,” brought together stakeholders from government, development agencies, civil society, and the private sector. It focused on identifying sustainable financing mechanisms and inclusive policies to bridge the water access gap for underserved populations.
In her opening remarks, Madam Suzzy Abaidoo, a senior programmes officer at the MSWR, praised Saha Global’s women-led water service model in northern Ghana as a powerful example of community-driven innovation. The model supplies clean drinking water to areas where boreholes are unfeasible and communities rely solely on rainwater or dugouts.
According to the WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme (2022), more than two million rural Ghanaians still lack access to safe drinking water. While policy measures such as the revised National Water Policy and the newly introduced Presidential Compact prioritize these populations, implementation remains hampered by limited funding and logistical constraints.
Presenting on behalf of Saha Global, Mr. Theo Boateng outlined the real cost of delivering basic water services to last-mile communities. He estimated it costs GHS 132 per person annually to sustain the model, covering infrastructure, staff, water treatment, and logistics.
However, affordability remains a challenge. Low-income users typically pay only 10 pesewas for 20 liters of water, making cost recovery virtually impossible without financial subsidies.
In a typical village of 500 people, he said, monthly revenue from water sales averages just GHS 300—barely enough to cover production costs, let alone staff wages, quality monitoring, or system maintenance.
Without sustained financial support, he warned, these community-run systems could collapse, forcing residents to return to unsafe sources. Subsidies, he argued, are not just necessary but transformative. Citing field data, Mr. Boateng explained, “Extreme affordability is not a luxury in these communities; it’s a necessity.” He noted that subsidizing chlorine significantly boosted water consumption, while price hikes led to immediate declines. Stakeholders at the forum proposed various strategies for sustainable water financing, including district-level funding partnerships, revolving funds, donor-backed allocations, and corporate social responsibility investments. They also discussed cross-subsidization from urban utilities and results-based financing as viable options.
Participants emphasized the need for policy alignment among decentralised authorities, utilities, and NGOs to ensure coordinated efforts in reaching underserved areas. They also called for increased infrastructure investment in dugouts, treatment units, and logistics to support rural water delivery. The forum concluded with a shared commitment to accelerate implementation of reforms and ensure that Ghana’s most vulnerable communities are not excluded from the country’s development agenda.