Decentralisation and Environmental Sustainability in Ghana: the Case of Obuasi Municipal Assembly in the Ashanti Region
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University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh UNIVERSITY OF GHANA DECENTRALISATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY IN GHANA: THE CASE OF OBUASI MUNICIPAL ASSEMBLY IN THE ASHANTI REGION BY CHARLES OWUSU-ADUOMI BOTCHWEY (10395722) THIS THESIS IS SUBMITTED TO THE UNIVERSITY OF GHANA, LEGON IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE AWARD OF MPHIL IN HEALTH SERVICES MANAGEMENT DEGREE JUNE, 2015 University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DECLARATION I do hereby declare that this study is the result of my own research and that no part of this work has been presented for another degree in the University of Ghana or elsewhere. All references have been duly acknowledged. I bear sole responsibility for any shortcomings. ………………………………. ………………………………. (CHARLES OWUSU-ADUOMI BOTCHWEY) DATE (10395722) i University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh CERTIFICATION I hereby certify that this Thesis was supervised in accordance with the procedures laid down by the university. ………………………………… …………………………. (DR. ALBERT AHENKAN) DATE (SUPERVISOR) ii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh DEDICATION This work is dedicated to my caring and loving mother, Christiana Ama Afrane for sacrificing to drive me to school amid several pickles. Similarly, to my heart-felt daughter Nana Akosua Boahemaa Botchwey. iii University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I wish to express my deepest heartfelt gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Albert Ahenkan for his guidance, expertise and immense contributions and support throughout this study. I wish to also express my deepest appreciation to my Head of Department, Dr. Justice N. Bawole for his sincerest support and encouragement. Also, I want to use this opportunity to express my thoughtful indebtedness to Dr. Thomas Buabeng of the Department of Public Administration and Health Services Management for his constructive criticisms of my work during my seminar presentations as well as the faculty staff of the Department for their individual guidance. Furthermore, I want to render my profound gratitude to the Municipal Chief Executive of the Obuasi Municipal Assembly for the granting me permission to use his municipality as my case study. Additionally, I want to thank the Presiding Member of the Obuasi Municipal Assembly, the Municipal Coordinating Director, the Head of Water and Sanitation, the Municipal Head of Zoomlion-Ghana, the Head of Environmental Protection Agency, the Assembly Members who participated in the study and the few selected community members for their kind contributions towards the successful completion of this thesis. I wish to say a very big thank you to the Medical Superintendent of the Obuasi Government Hospital for his support and cooperation during data collection. Also, I wish to say thank you to other key people from the Municipal Assembly and all respondents from the Municipality who participated in the study. Besides, this work would not have been comprehensive without the support of the community members of the Obuasi Municipality and I am very grateful to all who facilitated to make this study possible. Above all, I thank the Almighty God for giving me life, knowledge and wisdom to see this study come to the culmination. iv University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION...................................................................................................................... I CERTIFICATION .................................................................................................................. II DEDICATION....................................................................................................................... III ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .................................................................................................... IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ....................................................................................................... V LIST OF FIGURES ........................................................................................................... VIII LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................ IX LIST OF PLATES ................................................................................................................ IX LIST OF ACRONYMS/ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................ X ABSTRACT ..................................................................................................................... XVIII CHAPTER ONE ...................................................................................................................... 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................... 1 1.1 INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................................. 1 1.2 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY ................................................................................ 1 1.3 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM ............................................................................... 3 1.4 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY ...................................................................................... 5 1.4.1 GENERAL OBJECTIVE ............................................................................................... 5 1.4.2 SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES.............................................................................................. 5 1.5 GENERAL QUESTION .................................................................................................... 6 1.5.1 SPECIFIC QUESTIONS................................................................................................ 6 1.6 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY ................................................................................. 6 1.7 DEFINITIONS OF TERMS ............................................................................................. 8 1.8 CHAPTER OUTLINE....................................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER TWO ................................................................................................................... 12 LITERATURE REVIEW ..................................................................................................... 12 2.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................ 12 2.2 THE CONCEPT OF SUSTAINABILITY ..................................................................... 12 2.3 DEFINITION OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY .................................... 13 2.4 HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN GHANA ................. 15 2.5 DECENTRALISATION AND THE ENVIRONMENT............................................... 16 2.6 DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT IN GHANA ................................................................................................................................... 17 2.7 RELEVANT PERSPECTIVES FROM AGENDA-21 ................................................. 19 2.8 UN MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL 7: ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY ............................................................................................................... 23 2.9 CAN DECENTRALISATION SAVE THE ENVIRONMENT? ................................ 24 2.10 THEORY ........................................................................................................................ 27 2.11 CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK ................................................................................. 28 2.12 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................. 32 CHAPTER THREE ............................................................................................................... 33 PROFILE OF THE STUDY AREA ..................................................................................... 33 3.1 INTRODUCTION............................................................................................................ 33 3.2 STUDY AREA .................................................................................................................. 33 v University of Ghana http://ugspace.ug.edu.gh 3.2.1 POPULATION .............................................................................................................. 35 3.2.2 EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES AND PERFORMANCE ........................................ 36 3.2.3 POLITICAL SECTOR ................................................................................................. 39 3.2.4 OCCUPATION ............................................................................................................. 41 3.2.5 HEALTH SECTOR ...................................................................................................... 42 3.2.6 HEALTH FACILITIES ............................................................................................... 43 3.2.7 HUMAN RESOURCES FOR HEALTH .................................................................... 44 3.2.8 HUMAN RESOURCES FOR THE ASSEMBLY ...................................................... 45 3.2.9 HEALTH STATUS ....................................................................................................... 46 3.3 JUSTIFICATION OF THE STUDY AREA ................................................................ 48 3.4 SUMMARY .....................................................................................................................