Water Scarcity Case Study

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background to the study

Water is essential resource which contributes to socio-economic development and a healthy ecosystem. Due to its potency of affecting life in diverse ways, conscious efforts have been made towards achieving basic water security (Grey and Sadoff, 2007). However, the situation of water scarcity persists in most parts of the world (Molle and Mollinga, 2003).

Water stress is defined as a point at which the aggregate impact of all users impinges on the supply or quality of water under prevailing institutional arrangement to the extent that the demand by all sectors including the environment cannot be satisfied fully (UN Water, 2007). It is estimated that almost one-third of the world’s population

With the growing increase in water scarcity, access to water for productive uses such as small scale businesses which are vital to realize livelihood prospects, produce income and contribute to economic growth is now a critical challenge (UN-Water/FAO, 2007). The lack of water supply, sanitation and hygiene (WasH) poses a threat to health and well-being of many people. Also, it comes at a large financial cost, including huge economic losses to businesses and families. In urban centers, poor occupants must pay very high water prices to informal water vendors or face complete water shortage. According to WHO and UNICEF (2014), Insufficient supply of water leads to loss of time which results in the loss of educational, employment, economic and social opportunities.

Urban dwellers in urban Ghana has for a long-time experience water stress. Supply of water from the Ghana water company has not reached all urban areas. Majority of the inhabitants in urban areas have adopted some strategies in the face of the water stress. People also have attitudes and perceptions on water stress in urban Ghana. There have been calls for research to access water stress in Ghana, yet little research has been done to access the attitudes and perception of people on water stress. Coping strategies of urban dwellers on water stress has also been poorly

As population increases and development calls for increased allocations of water for the domestic and other sectors, the pressure on water resources intensifies, leading to conflicts among users. Excessive pressure on the environment and stress on water resources has brought about a rising demand and growing pollution worldwide which is of serious concern (UN-Water Thematic Initiatives, 2006). A report by UN-Water Thematic Initiatives (2006), reveals that water use has been growing at more than twice the rate of population increase in the last century. According to Postel (2000), the growing water scarcity is as a result of rapid population increase. Worldwide, climate change has also been found to be a major cause of water scarcity (Gober et al 2010; Howard et al