Improving sanitation in poor urban areas: the role of non-state actors in the sanitation service delivery in Ashaiman Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

This paper presents a study on sanitation service delivery in an urban poor locality in Ghana, Ashaiman. Ashaiman is a sprawling urban settlement in Ghana and suffers from poor sanitary conditions. Close to 80 per cent of households in the Tulaku area, a suburb of Ashaiman, do not have toilet facilities in their homes because landlords did not deem it necessary to construct toilet facilities (Ashaiman Medium Term Development Plan, 2008-2011). Most public toilet facilities are also in a deplorable state. As a result of these inadequacies, there is over dependence on the few public toilet facilities and this has further led to indiscriminate defecation in open spaces and bushes. Compounding the problems discussed above, is the poor attitude of residents who indiscriminately dispose of refuse, and again, most residents refuse to pay refuse fees. The poor attitudinal problem has made it increasingly difficult for city authorities to maintain good sanitation in the communities despite several interventions adopted by the government, as well as, civil society organizations to improve the appalling sanitation situation. The study sought to discuss the role played by non-state actors’ sanitation service delivery. The study identified some challenges confronting the sanitation delivery in Ashaiman as; Inadequate budgetary and financial allocation for implementing sanitation action plans, lack of sanitation byelaws at the municipal level, thus, weak or no enforcement of laws, Deficient capacity of civil society to mobilize the community to engage in sanitation exercises, the Lack of coordination between local authority and other stakeholders, and the lack of community engagement in the sanitation service delivery. A major finding that emerged from the study was that there were a range of community actors in sanitation delivery, not withstanding, they were not recognized as important stakeholders and local authorities hardly partner with them in the process of change. The study has discussed measures of improving sanitation in the poor urban localities of Ghana and recommends that if local authorities collaborate with non-state actors, especially informal service providers and community based groups, it would enhance improvement in the sanitation situation in poor urban localities