The implication of climate variability on household water management; perception and practices among rural womenfolk in four communities in Ghana

Abstract

In most rural communities, women are the sole managers of water supply and sanitation and determine household water management choices and practices. This study investigated the perceptions and household water management practices among womenfolk within rural communities located in the Central Tongu district and the Ada East districts of Ghana. Data collection instruments included household surveys, direct observation and focus group discussions of women within the study communities. The data were analysed using statistical tools embedded in the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. Results indicate that socio-demographic factors such as age, education, occupation and cost of water sources shaped household water management decisions. Furthermore, respondents’ perception of climate variability and climate adaptation was low and this, in turn, influenced household water management practices. The paper recommends that capacity building workshops be organized for rural women within the study communities to equip them with the skills to increase their income and in due course, improve their water management choices. Additionally, we suggest the promotion of climate variability and adaptation sensitization workshops of suitable household water management adaptation measures by government and Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) among rural communities.