Urban Governance and the Challenges of Sustainable Wastewater Management

Abstract

Although wastewater can be considered a significant resource for augmenting domestic, agricultural, and industrial water supplies, drawbacks in its management result in environmental pollution. Using a mixed-methods approach, this study focused on understanding the realization of urban governance in wastewater management in Tema, Ghana. The key findings indicate that wastewater management is conducted in a restrictive environment, dictated by a lack of strategic and infrastructural planning, inadequate finances, and the public’s unwillingness to pay for improved services. It is further characterized by decentralization bottlenecks and an inability to stimulate private sector interest and investment. Improving urban environmental governance and practices, including wastewater management in African cities, requires city authorities and key actors in the water and wastewater management sector to deepen community engagement, create awareness, and strengthen partnerships and collaborations to improve the proper handling and disposal of wastewater.