Spatial inequality in safely managed water access in Ghana

Abstract

This paper examines inequalities in drinking water access among regions and between urban and rural areas in Ghana with a focus on access to safely managed water service, access to safe water, access to water on premises, access to sufficient quantities of water, and access to improved water. Microdata of the 2017/18 Ghana Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey was used and analyzed using descriptive statistics and Gini index. Nationally, access to safely managed water service was low (6.8%) with moderate inequality among regions (Gini index = 0.27) and high inequality between rural and urban areas (Gini index = 0.42). Among the 10 administrative regions, moderate inequality was recorded for access to water on premises (Gini index = 0.20), and low inequality for access to safe water (Gini index = 0.117), access to improved water (0.06), and access to sufficient quantities of drinking water (0.02). The results of the study reinforce the call by the United Nations for disaggregation of national data of the Sustainable Development Goals by relevant socio-economic and spatial variables at a subnational level to help in the design and implementation of inclusive and equitable policies. HIGHLIGHTS The study investigated spatial inequalities in drinking water access in Ghana.; Gini index was applied to measure spatial inequalities in water access.; Safely managed water coverage was 6.8% with moderate regional inequalities (Gini index = 0.27).; Access to safely managed water in urban areas is five times higher than in rural areas.;

Keywords

• ghana
• gini index
• inequality
• safely managed water
• sustainable development goals