Challenges and Opportunities for Mainstreaming Climate Change Adaptation into WaSH Development Planning in Ghana

Salley Alhassan and Wade L. Hadwen
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Salley Alhassan: International Water Centre, Australia, Oz Green Youth Leading the World (YLTW)-Africa Program, Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Berekum 233, Ghana
Wade L. Hadwen: Australian Rivers Institute and Griffith Climate Change Response Program, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, QSD 4111, Australia

IJERPH, 2017, vol. 14, issue 7, 1-20

Abstract: Climate change threatens water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) facilities and services, as these are intimately linked to the water cycle and are vulnerable to changes in the quantity and quality of available water resources. Floods and droughts, which pollute and reduce water delivery respectively, have now become a perennial issue to deal with in the northern regions of Ghana. This study aimed to assess the degree to which climate change adaptation measures are mainstreamed into the water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) development planning process in Ghana. Stakeholders from government and non-government agencies were interviewed to gain perspectives on the threat of climate change, the inclusion of climate change in WaSH planning and the barriers preventing mainstreaming. Despite awareness of climate change, adaptation measures have not been considered, and the immediate WaSH needs remain the priority. Overall, stakeholders felt the adaptive capacity of the Municipality was low and that mainstreaming has not yet occurred. Despite the lack of progress, there are great opportunities for mainstreaming climate change adaptation into planning through increasing awareness and capacity, legislative and institutional changes and the development of participatory systems to provide early warning systems and disaster risk analyses that will inform future planning.

Keywords: climate change; adaptation; WaSH; policy; sustainability; development (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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