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Abstract
We examine access to, use of, and participation in decisions on improved water supply
in the Volta basin of Ghana, one of the first countries to introduce a community-based
approach to rural water supply on a large scale. While 71 percent of the households
interviewed have access to improved water, 43 percent of these continue to use unsafe sources
as their main domestic water source. Our results indicate that quality perceptions and
opportunity costs play an important role in households’ choice of water source. The effect of
prices and income levels on this choice differs according to the pricing system used. Given
that supply characteristics such as the location and pricing system affect household decisions
to use the improved source, households may try to influence these characteristics in their favor
during the community decision-making process for the improved source. However, less than
40 percent of the households interviewed participated in decisions on location or technology.
We argue that the decision whether to participate depends on three main factors: (i) the
household’s bargaining power, (ii) the potential benefits from influencing outcomes, and (iii)
the cost of participation, (mainly opportunity cost of time). Our results indicate that bargaining
power matters more than potential benefits. Moreover, we find an extremes effect: the poorest,
uneducated and the richest, highly educated segments of the community are more likely to
participate in decision-making for improved domestic water supply than the middle class. We
conclude with policy implications and needs for further research.