Enhancing community-driven initiatives in urban water supply in Ghana

Despite the notable contributions of community-driven initiatives to improve access to urban water supply in Ghana, no conscious effort has been made to harness the full potential of their involvement in improving urban water supply. Drawing on ongoing research on improving urban water and sanitation provision through information and action driven locally, this paper examines community-driven initiatives towards improve access to water supply in urban Ghana. The discussions reveals that while the role of communitybased water providers remain unrecognised in the absence of support from governments and financial institutions, they are vital to millions of poor urban households who cannot access water through the formal network. The paper calls for promoting and supporting community-driven initiatives so that in the absence of universal pipe coverage, they can operate efficiently under a light regulatory regime that ensures fair prices and a viable service delivery.