Institutional arrangements for managing watersheds in Ghana: A study of the Inchaban watershed

Abstract

The onset of the post-independence era opened the way for the establishment of agencies and institutions responsible for watershed management in every District in Ghana. This was done to address the diffused state of functions of institutions in charge of watershed management. It is, however a paradox to find that most of the watersheds in Ghana are still undergoing degradation which has socio-economic and ecological implications. This paper examined the institutional arrangements and challenges in managing watersheds using the Inchaban Watershed in the Western Region of Ghana as a case study. The study employed a qualitative research approach in the collection of data and analysis. Data for the study were gathered through in-depth interviews with purposively selected officials of the Inchaban watershed management institutions and other key informants in the Shama District. It was found out that weak institutional capacity, coupled with poor coordination amongst the major stakeholders led to an increased rate of degradation within and around the Inchaban Watershed. The study recommends stronger institutional capacity building and an active consultation and coordination among the relevant institutions for effective management of the watershed