Studying the extent to which WASH needs are integrated into local plans in Ghana: a case study of two districts in Eastern Region

Access to Safely managed Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services are important for people’s health, wellbeing and sustainable development. However, in many developing countries, access to these essential services is low. Planning at the local level play a significant role in ensuring that WASH needs are addressed effectively targeting specific WASH needs of the people. This study explores the integration of WASH needs into the 2022-2025 Medium Term Development Plans of Upper Manya Krobo District and Lower Manya Krobo Municipal of Ghana. Using a multi-method approach, combining Document review and Key Informant interviews, the study examined the extent to which WASH needs were incorporated into the local plans, identifying the factors influencing WASH integration, challenges and opportunities. The study identified key findings. The integration of WASH needs into the local plans varied from each district in term of the number of WASH activities captured in the local plans and the resources allocated and also resources were skewed towards hardware components compared to Software WASH activities. Factors such as community engagements and participation, national policies and global agendas such the Sustainable Development Goals influence WASH integration. Some of the challenges of integration uncovered include financial constraints, other resource and logistical constraints, technical capacity constraints and political interference while opportunities identified Promotion of Public-Private Partnerships, strengthening collaboration with Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and active participation of community members. Further studies are needed in the area of the impact of WASH interventions in the research areas after the plan ends in 2025. Additionally, the research on the impact of NGOs and other development partners on sustainability of WASH projects and on gender and WASH integration are recommended.