1. Water User Associations in Northern Ghana:From Institutional Panacea to Reality Check Ernest Nti Acheampong and Jean-Philippe Venot IWMI- West Africa Accra, Ghana Theme 3: Water and Society CTA Annual Seminar Johannesburg, 22-26 November, 2010

3. Paradigm Shift/ WUAs as Institutional Panaceas

4. History and Distribution of Small Reservoirs

5. Small Reservoir Performance/ WUAs presence

6. Water User Associations: “Institutional Blueprint”

7. Conditions for Collective Action

9. Policy Changes Reforms in Water and Irrigation sectors policies (national and international) over the last three decades. Implementation of Policy Changes at the national levels Structural Adjustment Programme(SAPs) Poverty Reduction Strategies Programme (PRSPs) Shift from Large Scale Irrigation systems to Smallholder irrigation developments; dependent to a large extent on the innovativeness of individual farmers emerging technologies and market forces. Devolution of water resources management from; State-led irrigation schemes to community-led schemes. Centralized approach to decentralized and participatory approach Emergence of Water Users Associations (WUAs)

11. Drought proofing mechanisms;

12. Small Scale Irrigation;

13. Increasing food security and;

15. > 2,500 small dugouts (no irrigation system)

16. > 5000 ha potential area of irrigation

18. 1966-1991: “Status Quo”

19. 1991-2001 (3 per year)

20. Post 2001 (5 per year): 116 (out of 350) new/rehabilitated sites in the UER/UWR< 1 Mm3 < 50 ha

22. Analysis of existing databases

23. Upper East and West Regions

24. ˜ 350 sites identified

25. Development of a secondary database

26. Participatory appraisal with AEA and field visits

27. Use of small dams and performance levels

28. Maintenance of infrastructures

29. Modes of management

30. Qualitative field surveys (24 sites)

31. Key informants interviews

34. Promote coordination with traditional authorities

36. Conclusion Devolution of local commons’ management has a high tendency to improve efficiency and equity No single institutional pillar panacea (WUAs) Diagnostic approach in the analysis of institutional arrangements in a dynamic, socio-political and cultural setting. Financial and capacity support by the State is crucial