Responses of institutions and communities to environmental problems of water hyacinth invasion in Jomoro Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

Water hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes invasion of water bodies poses challenges to riparian communities. Biological, mechanical and chemical procedures are used to control their invasion of water bodies. In Ghana, the central government plays a major role in development, through the local and traditional authorities. This study highlights the customary and institutional roles in supporting people whose livelihood activities have been affected by the water hyacinth invasion. Efforts made by communities to control the spread of the water hyacinth were examined. The study was conducted in five communities located along the River Tano and Abby-Tano Lagoon in the Jomoro Municipality, Ghana. Respondents were traced using snowball sampling. Structured interviews and focus group discussions were used as data collection methods. The study indicated that local government and traditional authorities did not provide any direct support for the people affected by the water hyacinth invasion. This was partly because water hyacinth was not considered to be a priority problem among the authorities. However, the study found that the traditional authorities assisted their subjects in the physical removal of the water hyacinth through the organisation of communal labour. A recommendation to find a lasting solution to the water hyacinth invasion has been proposed.