The Negotiated Approach in the context of IWRM in the Dayi River Basin, Ghana
Kijk in de Vegte, M. & Veerman, A.
Contents
List of acronyms 3
Introduction4
Part one: Potential of the Dayi River Basin5
1.Physical characteristics of the Dayi River Basin5
1.1 Environmental characteristics5
1.2Climate6
1.3Water in the catchment 6
1.4 Importance of the region7
1.5Infrastructural development in the region8
2.Socio-economic characteristics of the Dayi River Basins9
2.1Economic activities9
2.2 The main categories of livelihoods10
Livelihoods and gender relations10
2.3Resource utilisation and interests of the various groups 11
3. Threats to the Dayi River Basin: interaction between environment
And livelihood12
3.1Environmental degradation and livelihoods12
3.2 Climate change and livelihoods14
4. Summary of Part one16
Part two: institutional framework, involvement and the role of NGOs17
5. National policies and institutions17
5.1governmental institutions managing Ghana’s water resources17
5.2 IWRM on national level: the policy and mandated institutions18
5.3 Chieftaincy19
5.4 Rights of access and control over natural resources19
Land ownership20
Taboo systems20
Claiming rights 20
5.5 Stakeholder coordination21
5.6 Non-governmental organizations, donors and the national government22
6. Basin management23
6.1 Setting up of the board23
6.2 Basin plan24
6.3Current state of the board25
6.4 Future of the board27
7. Consultative institutions and local involvement29
7.1Local involvement in the government29
Problems with involvement 29
7.2Participation within the board30
Problems with participation 32
7.3 Open access to information32
7.4 Opinion local stakeholders (bottom-up)33
7.5 Conflict management33
8. NGOs and donors in the Dayi River Basin35
8.1NGOs and local participation35
8.2The importance of NGOs 35
9.Summary of Part two 37
Part three: Conclusions38
Bibliography
List of Acronyms
CBOCommunity Based Organisation
CWSACommunity Water and Sanitation Agency
DA District Assembly
DIDevelopment Institute
EPAEnvironmental Protection Agency
GIDAGhana Irrigation Development Authority
GPRSGhana Poverty Reduction Strategy
GWCLGhana Water Company Limited
MDGMillenium Development Goal
MMDAMetropolitan, Municipal, District Assembly
MOFAMinistry of Food and Agriculture
MWRWHMinistry of Water Resources, Works and Housing
NGONon-Governmental Organisation
NWPNational Water Policy (2007)
WDWater Directorate
WEAPWater Evaluation and Planning Model
WRCWater Resource Commission
WSSDPNational Water Plan is the Water Sector Strategic Development Plan
Introduction
Integrated Water Resource Management, [M1]following the Negotiated Approach, involves local people in the different phases of water management. From the formulation of strategies, to the development and implementation of actions, and the monitoring and evaluation phase.[1] In the Volta Region in Ghana a first step has been taken towards working with the Negatiated Approach by setting up a basin board to manage water resources in the Dayi River basin, including local actors such as chiefs and farmer groups. In this chapter, it will be investigated whether Ghanaian laws, policies and institutions enable public participation in the planning for sustainable and equitable utilisation of the water resources in the Dayi Basin.
This will be done in three steps. First, there will be looked at the resources and livelihoods in the catchment. Thereafter, the relation between the environment and livelihoods will be elaborated as environmental degradation plays a large part in people’s lives. Lastly, the laws, policies and institutions that deal with water resources in the catchment will be dealt with.
The research was done by fieldwork in the Dayi basin during April and May of 2013. Information was collected in the Volta region by interviewing stakeholders, and collecting secondary data in the form of national policies and other documents regarding water. The interviews were held with the different members of the Dayi Basin Board, community members from the village of Woadze and other stakeholders within the catchment. In Accra a more national scope was explored by conducting interviews with the Water Resource Commission (WRC) which is the initiator of the board, and two donor countries on their water policy. For this research institutional support was given by the Ghanaian NGO the Development Institute.
Part one: potential of the Dayi River Basin
1Physical Characteristics of the Dayi River Basin
1.1Environmental characteristics
The Dayi River Basin in Ghana is located in the Volta Region between latitude 7° 19' N - 6° 38' N, and longitude 0° 39' E -0° 17' E. The basin is bounded by the Togo border to the east and in the west by the Volta Lake. The Dayi River takes its source from the Akpafu range in Togo, draining through the low-lying portion of the Hohoe Municipality to the Detu highlands in the south of the Hohoe Municipality. It then discharges into the Volta Lake in the Kpando District.[2]
Graph 1 Dayi River Basin GhanaSource: IVM Institute Environmental Studies
The length of the valley and width of the valley are respectively about 60 and 20 km. The catchment covers an area of approximately 2180 km2: the main part is located in Ghana, around 422 km2 in Togo.[3]The catchment is a flat valley surrounded by mountain ranges varying in height between 300 and 1000 m. The Dayi river has multiple tributaries originating from the surrounding mountains. The Ahavo, Aflabo and Koloe Rivers originate in the eastern side of the catchment, close to the Togolese border. The Tsatsadu and Fentbi Rivers run from North to South, starting from the steep and densely forested slopes in the north-west. A third tributary, the Tsidje or Feku River, with a similar flow direction, rises in the lower lying area.[4]
The subsoil consists mainly of old sedimentary rocks as shales, quartzites and volcanic rocks that are covered by a weathering layer. Along the major rivers there are younger unconsolidated deposits as loam, sand and gravel. [5] The basin is underlain by three geological formations. Half of the basin substratum is the Buem formation. The Togo Series covers 48% of the region with Quartzite, Sandstone, Shale, Phyllite, Schist and Silicified Limestone. The remaining 2% is part of the Dahomeyan formation that is made up of mainly Schist & Migmatites.[6]
The vegetation of the area can be divided into three zones, reflecting rainfall distribution and altitude. There is moist semi-deciduous forest, savannah and mountain vegetation.[7] The north-western and eastern part of the catchment is forested land that is characterised by closed canopy and little undergrowth. This is found along the slopes of the Akwapin-Togo-Attakora ranges. On the lower slopes moist semi-deciduous forest has been replaced by secondary forest due to agricultural practices. Savannah woodland – grassland with scattered trees like acacia, bamboo and baobabs – is found in the northern section of the basin.[8]
1.2Climate
The climate in the Volta region is tropical. The warmest and coolest months are March and September, with mean temperatures of 28°C and 25°C respectively. The basin is characterized by a bi-modal rainfall regime with a mean annual number of rainy days between 90 and 120 days. There is a considerable variation in the onset, duration and intensity of the monthly rainfall. The main rainy season extends from mid-April to July with a peak in July of about 197mm rainfall. The smaller second rainy season occurs between September and November, with instances of the highest peak of 193mm rainfall in October. The annual rainfall in the basin varies between 1,100-1,300 mm in the plains and about 1,400-1,600 mm in the higher ranges of the northern part. The potential evaporation is around 1500 mm/yr.[9]
1.3Water in the catchment
The base flow of the river determines whether there can be a year-round water supply. There is a clearly detectable correlation found in the basin between the yearly rainfall, groundwater recharge and river base flow.[10]In 2012 the base flow was around 1 to 2 m3/s at Hohoe and increases to about 6 m3/s at Gbefi, further downstream. The water level downstream is higher as the many tributaries release into the Dayi.[11]The Dayi River has a year round supply and the groundwater potential is believed to be very high, as the Basin is rich in high yielding aquifers and the indication of a high recharge rate. It is therefore assumed that the groundwater potential in the basin is sufficient for domestic, industrial and irrigation purposes.[12]
Although the Dayi River is year-round, most streams in the basin including major tributaries such as Utaka, Koloe and Seku dry up during the rainy season, or have very little flow.[13] The Water Evaluation and Planning Model (WEAP) used by the WRC has shown that during the dry season the tributaries in Kpando en Ho show ‘dryness’ as well as ‘no rains’ as the daily average volume of stream flow within the reach of the rivers ranges from 0 mm3 to 0.8 mm3.[14]
The quality of the water is measured by the Water Quality Index and rated ‘good’ at Hohoe in March 2010.[15] The Ghana Water Company also states that the water quality is sufficient, as they do not have major problems in cleaning the water from the river.[16]
1.4Importance of the region
The Dayi basin harbours a natural environment that is of ecological and touristic importance to Ghana. The area contains Ghana’s only mountain range with it highest peak at Afadjato, rises 890 metres above sea level. There are the Tsatsuda falls and the Wli falls, the highest waterfall in West Africa.[17] The falls are located in the Agumatsa Wildlife Sanctuary, home of hundreds of fruit bats, monkeys and antelopes. The basin is well marked with natural caves in Akpafu and Likpe Todome. Important protected areas in the basin include Odomi forest reserve, Kpando Range Dayi Block forest reserve, Kpando Range West forest reserve, Togo Plateau, etc.[18] Another important spot in the basin is the Tafi Atome Monkey Sanctuary, a sacred grove in a traditional conservation area that is home to Mona and Pata monkeys.[19]
Although important for the biodiversity and touristic potential of the basin, these areas remain unprotected. There are plans towards building a hydro-dam within the waterfall. ‘If at any point in time, we can find another way to use it for hydropower, we will use it’, mentioned Bob Alfa from the WRC. Moreover, there might be a uranium deposit not far away from the Wli waterfalls which might be explored: ‘this is the most expensive mineral now, so if it is there, mining may become an option.’[20]
1.5 Infrastructural development in the region
The Dayi River has no large dams although this seems inconclusive: some people talk about dams, while others seem to know there are none. The weir in Hohoe is used for the water supply of the city; therefore WCR considers it as a dam. The WRC also mentions a dam in one of the tributaries, and some other small ones.[21]
Road development is going strong country wide but also has its environmental costs. At the moment, the economic improvements are seen as outweighing these downsides[22]. As Ton van der Zon from the Dutch Embassy said: ‘Really the route improvement program, I have never seen so much being done on the roads. But this is not in the advantage of the environment. You open things’.[23]
One of the main changes in the past decades is the growing number of water pipe connections, even in rural areas. Where people first only depended on rivers, streams and wells, they now depend on Ghana Water Company Limited for their daily supply of water for daily use. While this undoubtedly has increased the quality of the water, it also carries negative consequences. Pipe bursts are not rare, leaving people without water.
The infrastructure of the pipe network can be problematic. In different cities in the Volta region the water availability is under pressure. The rapidly growing population outgrows the infrastructure. The water in Hohoe is being rationed, as the pumps are not strong enough to supply the whole city with water on a daily basis. While now around 450.000 gallons a day are produced, at least one million is needed to supply the whole city.[24]
2 Socio-economic characteristics of the Dayi River Basin
2.1Economic activities[O2]
The Dayi River Basin, situated in the Volta region, is a relatively densely populated area (123 persons/km2). The basin consists predominantly of rural/traditional communities, with the exception of a few cities like Ho and Hohoe. About 83% of the economically active population works in the informal private sector. The dominant economic activities in the catchment basically consist of subsistence and some cash crop farming.[25]
In the first half of the twentieth century the region became tree based, with cocoa as one of the main crops. Other important crops were oil palm, plantain and cassava. Formerly the Volta region was part of Togo Land which still leaves some traces within the cocoa sector.[26] Ownership of land in the Volta nowadays often belongs to people living in Togo (as they moved to Togo when the Volta became part of Ghana, still owning the land). This is limiting the current development of the cocoa sector as there is less innovation and initiative by the tenants. Furthermore, smuggling to Togo because of better prices negatively influences the economy of the Volta region.[27]
With the huge bushfires of 1982 and 1984 the region became more impoverished, and many farmers switched from tree crops to annual crops like maize.[28] Moreover, the 21st century introduced vegetable farming in the Dayi Basin. Examples of farming groups cultivating vegetables and other crops are the Kpando site at Lake Volta, started in 1978 under GIDA guidance and the Ve Koleone irrigation scheme set up in 2004, producing okra, garden eggs and pepper for the market in Ho and Hohoe. Two farmer groups also included in the Dayi Basin Board are the farmer group in Woadze under the guidance of the Development Institute, and the rice farming God Deliver Farm Association in New Baika. Moringa is also an interesting crop although prices remain low. There are few larger (fruit) plantations in the Volta region, one of which is the Kingdom Fruit Company that grows pineapples.[29] On a smaller scale there are some fisheries that are possible a new source of income for the region as their number is increasing.[30]
The economic future of the Dayi Basin is uncertain, but a positive trend in agriculture can be found. For instance, according to our informant from the Cocoa Board, production seems to increase again in the region, as local chiefs help farmers to buy land from Togolese land owners.[31] This way the production of cocoa will benefit the regional economy more.
2.2 The main categories of livelihoods
In the Dayi Basin the most important livelihood is farming, which is mostly subsistence and a little for commercial purposes. While about 60% of the population depends on farming as main source of income,[32] in some smaller places like Woadze almost 90% of the people call themselves farmer,[33] indicating how important farming is for most people as source of income and security. Farming is mostly done without machines, as working with cutlass and hoe is most common. The farmers grow plantain, cassava, maize, groundnut, yam, bananas, rice, and a variety of vegetables like tomatoes, peppers, okra and garden eggs.[34] Besides farming many people have other sources of income like the selling of fish, little food stalls or small shops. These extra sources of income may become even more necessary in the future, as many farmers see their income decreasing because of lower prices for their products and higher prices for their seeds and fertilizers.[35]
Livelihoods and gender relations
The household is the most important socio economic unit, in which mostly both husband and wife each have sources of revenue. In the Dayi area there is gender inequality when looked at control over revenues, as the wife will marry into the husband’s family, who control the trees and fertile soils. This said, there are several forms of cooperation between husband and wife, and women can inherit from their father and also be independent farmers.[36]
Although women are not specially excluded from certain tasks, they do carry the responsibility over other forms of work which men do not. While both men and women work on the land of their farm, women also take care of the household, the children, the cooking, and the selling of their products on the market. As one of the residents of Woadze noted ‘they do more’.[37] Next to this, women mostly earn less revenue as theyare responsible for subsistence farming and the selling at the market, while the men are more often responsible for the commercial farming.[38]Besides, in many households all the money earned through farming will go directly to the husband. This might lead to ‘non-maintenance’ of wives, who must ask for everything they want to buy, and do not get enough for them to take care of themselves and their children.[39]
2.3 Resource utilisation and interests of the various groups