Natural Resources Governance in Urban Communities of Ghana

Abstract

"Natural resources are critical common goods constituting an important source of raw materials, livelihood and a repository for all manner of wastes. They serve as the economic backbone of many countries in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and also provide essential services like research, medicine, energy and social identity for millions of people. Despite their importance, natural resources are undergoing severe degradation. Urbanization is one of the human actions contributing to the reduction and deterioration of the quality and quantity of natural resources. Urbanization has triggered a boom in businesses and trade in towns and cities in SSA such as Accra, Banjul and Dakar, which is generating jobs, livelihoods and incomes. However, increasing urbanization is causing many problems such as waste disposal, land insecurity, water crisis and lack of access to quality health services. This paper relies on Ostrom’s theory of common goods to explore the responses of two Ghanaian urban communities to land insecurity in Accra and the water crisis in Ola Resettlement. Using case studies, the paper argues that local communities have the capacity and skills to evolve governance arrangements in response to the effects of urbanization on their communally owned natural resources like land and water."