Understanding water governance from a systems’ perspective: A precursor for an enhanced water governance in small towns

Abstract

Small towns do not emerge spontaneously, but evolve, with water governance issues emerging at each stage of the community's growth. Water governance is bedevilled with challenges because cognitive attention is not given to water governance at early stages of growth. This paper examines small town water governance in Ghana, using field research in two communities, Gwollu and Daffiama, in north-western Ghana, which had water systems installed in the 1960s. Systems' thinking was used to unravel the evolution of the water systems. The paper uses historical analysis to focus on the water systems' successes and vulnerability issues, and to explain how management has been able to respond to different pressures over time. Each water system has been exposed to an array of pressures, including technological changes, socioeconomic and demographic changes, all of which have influenced the functioning of their water governance regimes. The case studies illustrate how each town's water system has gone through a cycle of adaptive change of: (i) growth/exploitation; (ii) conservation; and (iii) final collapse of the water system. After the collapse, the two towns moved to a reorganisation of their water system in the same year. The two water systems were moving to a collapse stage. The paper concludes by offering an explanation of the current state of outcomes.