The aim of this study was to investigate the groundwater chemistry with special concern to metal pollution in selected communities in the Wassa West district, Ghana. In this mining area, 40 ground water samples, mainly from drilled wells, were collected. The groundwaters have generally from neutral to acidic pH values and their Eh values indicate oxidising conditions. The dominating ions are calcium, sodium, and bicarbonate. The metal concentrations in the study area are generally lower than those typically found in mining regions. Only 17 wells show metal concentrations exceeding WHO guidelines for at least one metal. The main contaminants are manganese and iron, but arsenic and aluminium also exceed the guidelines in some wells probably affected by acid mine drainage (AMD). Metal concentrations in the groundwater seem to be controlled by the adsorption processes. Hydrogeochemical modelling indicates supersaturation of groundwater with respect to several mineral phases including iron-hydroxides/oxides, suggesting that adsorption on these minerals may control heavy metal and arsenic concentrations in groundwater. The area is hilly, with many groundwater flow divides that result in several local flow systems. The aquifers therefore are not strongly affected by weathering of minerals due to short groundwater residence times and intense flushing. The local character of groundwater flow systems also prevents a strong impact of acid mine drainage on groundwater systems in a regional scale.
The paper gives a brief account of the commercialisation of water supply and sanitation provision (the VA-service) in Sweden, and thereafter a detailed analysis of the recent management changes inside the Stockholm Water Company after the general election in September 2006. The paper is based on company protocols, published articles from various sources and the author's informal talks with some of the concerned actors. In the discussion it is argued that the focus on "core business" and the dismantling of the Stockholm Water Company is ideological driven.
The original meaning of the concept sustainability or sustainable development might in an altruistic way have referred to building societies based on a sound environmental practice. This paper shows that the structural adjustments programs (SAP), Poverty Reduction Strategies and the Millennium Development goals (MDG's) compel the Ghanian government to favour economic and fiscal sustainability. This neo-liberal policy has led to increasing inequalities, widening regional disparities, migration from rural areas to quickly grown up peri-urban areas basically within a huge informal sector, and unplanned capital formation and development at large, making claims to achieve the MDG's by 2015 illusory. A way forward for Ghana should be to gradually fence off from the world market and learn from the development efforts of the Kwame Nkrumah first independent government.
This paper draws on secondary and primary data derived from a field survey undertaken in Torsukpo and Agbogbla communities in the South Tongu District of Ghana to discuss possibilities of enhancing the roles of local institutions in resource management. Key issues addressed in the paper include (i) limitations which share cropping (abunu-abusa) as a local social institutional arrangement places on tenant farmers and (ii) the role of the District Assembly with specific reference to policy provisions placed at its disposal that could be used to formulate co-operative strategies that may help mobilize and empower the local people for effective natural resources management. To complement efforts in this direction, the paper also highlights some possible ways in which NGOs could play more effective roles in facilitating development process in the district.
This paper examines the water management situation in the Ho Municipality of Ghana. It provides an overview of the country's draft water policy and its implications for water supply in the municipality. Also examined are households' adaptation strategies in accessing water in the face of water scarcity and their attendant socio-economic implications. Results show that households adopt several coping strategies to access water in times of scarcity/shortage. These come in two basic forms. One entails utilisation of alternative sources, namely sachet water for drinking purposes, while water from open wells/boreholes served cooking, washing and bathing purposes. The second involves adjustment in water use at the individual level, e.g. reduction in quantity of water used for different purposes as well as the number of times one had to take a bath in a day. These practices have serious implications for health and well being of residents. To sustain water provision in the municipality, the paper calls for diversification of water supplies. This could be accomplished, for example, through linking boreholes to piped-water and also through promotion of rain water techniques to supplement existing supplies.
Due to the abundance of fossil fuel resources in Russia, the development of the renewable energy market there was delayed. Recent technological advancement has led to an increasing interest in biofuel production. The aim of research was to evaluate how biofuels are introduced into the current energy scheme of the country. The potential production of biofuels was estimated based on sustainable approaches which provide solution for carbon emission reduction and environmental benefits. Russia still requires biofuel policy to make biofuels compatible with traditional fossil fuel
Partnerships are increasingly becoming unpopular in Latin America, they have narrowly been analysed in the context of the international political agenda and criticized for bringing benefits only to the private sector and not to the public sector and society at large. Nevertheless, there are successful experiences for providing water and sanitation at local level. The questions are: Are local level successful experiences the product of a partnership? Was it necessary to build partnerships to add value to the community presence and informal actors? What are the advantages of partnerships at local and national scale? The case studies presented demonstrate that actors need to have an incentive to work together and to build trust. The context in which they operate is also relevant, and in Latin America it is needed a strong national legal institutional framework if partnerships or any agreement should be an alternative to public delivery of water and sanitation. This paper analyses the context in which water and sanitation is delivered in peri-urban areas based on case studies, identified actions for effective provision and on discussion of the institutional framework options and partnership implementation at local and national level. This paper does not advocate partnerships per se; nor are these seen as the problem.
The importance of gender concern in water sector is paramount, being seen as the harbinger of greater efficiency and effectiveness as well as equity. Consequently, there has been a continuing trend of designing water management policies with emphasis ranging from promoting participation of women in management of water projects in particular to supporting “gender-balanced” development of the water sector in general. How effective have these policies been in addressing such basic concerns? What are the local water users’ perceptions about effectiveness of the policies in addressing their realistic gendered needs and priorities? While “women” have received much attention, how well does the gender concern in the policies integrate “men”? Do “effectiveness” and “equity” as underlying policy goals reflect the water users’ perceptions as well? The paper attempts to evaluate the existing policies within the context of local communities where these are operational and proposes “facilitation of gender role performance” as a suitable policy alternative.
As domestic water managers, the strategic need of women has been identified as having access to domestic water sources that are convenient, reliable and located close to home. The need has been addressed through installation of low cost improved water supply systems in different parts of the developing world. While the need of women as domestic water managers has been globally articulated and addressed, perhaps adequate attention has not been drawn to the fact that this role is actually performed within the context of local communities where domestic water management activities are built upon the users' perceived needs to be fulfilled through culturally appropriate means. How do cultural intricacies in local communities influence the water fetching behaviour of women? What is the impact of such factors on the adoption and utilization of modern domestic water supply systems? The paper explores the implications of local cultural realities for the effectiveness of handpump as a modern domestic water supply system arguing that the locally perceived water needs of women are holistic and fail to be adequately addressed through the new source. Consequently, it has been admitted only as an 'add on' source, thereby hindering achievement of the basic objective of bringing women greater comfort, better health and socio-economic empowerment.
In 1993 The World Bank assisted the Ministry of Water and Irrigation of Jordan in updating the water sector review and thus began the process of Private Sector Participation (PSP) for service provision. In this paper, three years of privatisation of water and wastewater services is examined and investigated from the stakeholder (input) and the consumer (output) perspective. The goal of the study is to assess the changes that have been taken place to date in relation to the principles of good governance. The results from interviews with stakeholders and questionnaires to consumers show that the privatisation process is so far only showing a few signs of “good” governance.
In 1993 the World Bank assisted the Ministry of Water and Irrigation of Jordan in updating areview of the water sector, and thus began the process of Private Sector Participation (PSP) inservice provision to improve the efficiency of the water sector and wastewater services. In thisarticle, the privatisation of water and wastewater services is examined from the perspectives ofstakeholders (input) and consumers (output). The goal is to assess the changes that have beentaking place to date in relation to the principles of good governance. The results from interviewswith stakeholders and from consumer questionnaires show that the privatisationprocess has to date shown only a few signs of ‘good’ governance. Despite the range of stakeholdersinvolved, the state remains responsible for designing a good-governance approach thatis responsive to the concerns and interests of all stakeholders.
Food security can be defined in terms of availability, access, and use of food. The study assesses whether the measures taken by Addax Bioenergy in the Makeni community in Sierra Leone are effective and sufficient to ensure food security locally as well as regionally. Land and water availability, agricultural intensification and infrastructure, self-sufficiency/market dependency and alternative income options have been identified as the main factors affecting food security in the project area. The main measures employed by Addax involve the use of an 'environmental, social and health impact assessment' (ESHIA) to identify and propose measures to mitigate any impacts that would adversely affect the food security of the region. The results show that the proposed measures for mitigating negative impacts on food security are in some instances inappropriate and inadequate, leaving the affected communities exposed to risks and shocks of food insecurity. It is also found that the insufficiency of mitigation measures is a result of weak governance and lack of oversight that may leave the community at the mercy of Addax Bioenergy.