How does improved access to clean water impact rural communities? Evaluating impact of water projects in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam district in Ghana
Chair
Todd, SusanCommittee
Anahita, SineShapiro, Lewis
Chapin, F. Stuart III
Keyword
Rural water supplyGhana
Fresh water
Drinking water
Rural sanitation
Rural women
Women in rural development
Ghanaians
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Research has shown that rural water programs benefit communities by promoting women's empowerment, and improving children's education and the health of residents. However, the tendency for such programs to be short-lived (as water pumps break down and villages are unable to repair them) erodes any benefits and sets villages back on the path toward using unsafe and inconvenient water sources. The incidence of failed rural water projects has prompted calls for a more holistic approach to addressing rural water supply issues. Two development organizations, the Nyarkoa Foundation (NF) and the Rural Education and Development Program (REDEP), implemented a water program in villages located in the Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam District of Central Region, Ghana, where earlier water programs had been unsuccessful. Using a new approach, the program focused on gender-sensitive planning, financing for maintenance and participatory governance. Through interviews, focus group discussions and participant observation, this study evaluates the impacts of the NF/REDEP water program in two villages, Ofosu and Awordo. Findings showed that improved access to clean water enhanced economic opportunities for women and children's education in both villages. There was also evidence that equitable and participatory decision-making engendered cooperation and efficient management of the water program, while exclusionist policy making led to apathy and noncompliance. However, the combined usage of the water pumps with unprotected water sources threatened to negate its health benefits, while the absence of effective women's involvement in the management of the program raised questions about its capacity to truly empower women. These findings reveal the need for increased sensitization on the risks of using unsafe water and a review of the program management approach.Description
Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2011Date
2011-12Type
ThesisCollections
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
Understanding institutional and social factors relating to the provisioning of water and sanitation services in rural Alaska: perspectives on community self-reliance from nine Native villages of Interior AlaskaThe global community acknowledges the essential nature of potable water and proper sanitation to the realization of human rights. Since 1959 federal, state and tribal efforts have focused on the goal of equitably providing these services to Alaska Native villages. However, demographic and geographical realities along with limited resources pose formidable challenges to achieving this lofty goal. This thesis explores the challenges to providing safe drinking water in remote Interior Alaska villages and their impact on self-reliance from the perspectives of knowledgeable village residents. Findings from a grounded theory analysis reveal that despite competence and concerted efforts to meet community needs, social and institutional dimensions pose difficulties to sustainable water services. Such challenges include community perceptions about treated water, communication barriers, unharnessed local expertise and opportunities to develop local capacity, complicated needs assessment and resource acquisition processes, mismatched policies and technology vis-a-vis the realities of village living, and resident out migration.
-
Investigating factors affecting energy consumption in rural Alaskan water treatment and distribution systems, and exploring energy-saving strategies for wastewater treatment in cold climatesUnderlying permafrost in rural and remote Alaskan communities creates difficulties in connecting these communities to the electrical grid, resulting in the import of fuel from nearby cities by air or barge for electricity generation. During the winter months, a large amount of fuel and electricity is required for water treatment and distribution in these communities to keep the water temperature above freezing. Furthermore, domestic wastewater in rural Alaska is treated within wastewater lagoons, which lose their treatment efficiency during the freezing winter months. In contrast, the biological aerated filter (BAF), which has become an efficient alternative for domestic wastewater treatment in off-grid houses, consumes higher energy in the form of continuous aeration. As a result, residents living in rural Alaska pay significantly higher utility costs compared to the national average. This study is designed with two goals, to determine the factors contributing to higher energy consumption for water treatment and distribution and to evaluate energy consumption and BAF performance for wastewater treatment at different aeration regimes. The overall study is based on the following two hypotheses: (i) factors including seasonal changes, geographical regions, population size, and water distribution system (WDS) types influence energy consumption for water treatment and distribution, and (ii) intermittent aeration saves energy without impacting BAF performance for wastewater treatment. After analyzing energy audit data from the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium (ANTHC) for 78 rural Alaskan communities, we found that average per capita energy consumption was highest in interior Alaska (1826 kWh), followed by Northern (917 kWh), Southwestern (660 kWh), Gulf Coast (492 kWh), and Southeastern (136 kWh) regions. Among the water distribution system (WDS) types, piped circulating systems showed the highest energy consumption (1100 kWh), followed by washeteria (1000 kWh), closed hauling (800 kWh), individual wells (550 kWh), and piped pressure (300 kWh) systems. In the BAF experiment, we operated a bench-scale BAF at continuous and intermittent aeration regimes (1 hour on/1 hour off, and 2 hours on/2 hours off) using synthetic wastewater and evaluated the treatment efficiency in terms of chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal. The results showed similar COD removal rates for continuous aeration (67.6%), 1 hour on/1 hour off (66.5%), and 2 hours on/2 hours off (63.4%) aeration regimes. Additionally, we found that intermittent aeration regimes consumed significantly less energy than continuous aeration. This research helps to understand energy consumption for water treatment and distribution in rural Alaskan communities and provides a potential energy-saving approach for treating wastewater in Arctic communities.
-
Comparative Research of rural Drinking Water Supply in Mongolia and AlaskaThis comparative research project on rural drinking water supply in Mongolia and Alaska aimed to understand the challenges, dynamics, and best practices surrounding water access and utilities in rural communities within these regions. Through meticulous planning and execution, three cities in Mongolia and three cities in Alaska were selected as primary areas of study to capture the nuances and variations inherent in water supply dynamics across diverse geographical and socio-economic contexts. The objectives included investigating rural water supply systems, developing evidence-based recommendations, and fostering knowledge exchange and collaboration. A comprehensive literature review provided insights into existing scholarly works relevant to the study, establishing a foundation for the research. The research findings highlighted common challenges faced by remote communities in both Mongolia and Alaska, including limited access to clean and reliable drinking water, inadequate infrastructure, and socio-economic disparities. Despite these challenges, successful strategies and initiatives were identified, emphasizing the importance of community engagement, stakeholder collaboration, and context-specific solutions. Interviews with key stakeholders provided invaluable insights into the complexities of rural water supply systems, challenges faced, successful strategies employed, community engagement initiatives, regulatory frameworks, sustainability practices, and lessons learned. The qualitative and quantitative analysis facilitated a comprehensive understanding of rural water supply dynamics, informing evidence-based recommendations and best practices. The study concluded that addressing water access and utilities in rural communities requires concerted efforts, including investment in innovative technologies, fostering community engagement, enhancing policy support, and strengthening cross-sector collaboration. By translating research findings into actionable recommendations, stakeholders can work towards improving the quality of life for rural residents in Mongolia, Alaska, and beyond.
