Sustainability of Rural Communities Drinking Water Systems and Local Development Projects in the Bole, West and Central Gonja Districts of the Savannah Region, Ghana

Abstract

This study employed the post-positivist epistemology and the cross-sectional survey to examine the factors influencing the sustainability of communities drinking water and local development projects in the Bole, West and Central Gonja Districts of the Savannah Region, Ghana. Proportionate, systematic and simple random techniques were utilised to sample 450 respondents, composed of 392 household heads and 58 officials. Data was collected, utilising self-designed and semi-structured face-to-face interviews and questionnaires. Correlation and regressions were generated to determine relationships between the variables. Results showed community participation (r= 0.576, p-value = 0.019), finance (r = 0.517, p-value = 0.006), sense of ownership (r = 0.573, p-value = 0.012), labour support (r = 0.474, p-value = 0.015), education (r = 0.469, p-value = 0.021), technology (r = - 0.436, p-value = 0.018), maintenance (r = -0.503, p-value = 0.029), water pollution (r = - 0.389, p-value =0.041) and transparency (r = - 0.250, p-value = 0.015), were significantly associated with water projects sustainability. 69.7 percent of variabilities were collectively explained by the independent variables. Since p-values were < α = 0.05, the null hypothesis (Ho) was ruled out in favour of the alternative hypothesis. With strong participation, funding, local ownership, labour, and citizen empowerment, coupled with improved facility maintenance, appropriate technologies, pollution control and good eco-governance, there is almost irresistible likelihood for water and development projects to be sustainable. Depoliticising water, democratisation and eco-friendly strategies are necessary preconditions for an inclusive, self-governing and ecologically responsible citizenship needed for sustainability of water projects at the lowest level of development.