Rural Infrastructure in Ghana: Successes and Sustainability Challenges of the CBRDP

The study assesses the impact of Ghana’s Community-Based Rural Development Program on enhancing rural infrastructure and livelihoods, highlighting both its positive outcomes and challenges in sustainability due to inadequate community involvement and maintenance issues. It recommends a more participatory approach and the establishment of maintenance funds for future projects.

A study, conducted by Moses Naiim Fuseini from the Department of Public Policy and Management at Simon Diedong Dombo University of Business and Integrated Development Studies in Wa, Ghana, examines the impact of the Community-Based Rural Development Program (CBRDP) on rural communities in Ghana, with a particular focus on the Nadowli-Kaleo District in the Upper West Region. This program, implemented between 2004 and 2011 and financed by the World Bank and Agence Francaise de Developpement, was designed to enhance rural infrastructure to improve the livelihoods of the population in these areas. Despite the significant investment in the program, which covered all ten regions of Ghana at the time and spanned 138 Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), there has been limited research on how this infrastructure has affected the livelihoods of beneficiaries. Fuseini’s study fills this gap by exploring the types of infrastructure provided, their impact on livelihoods, and the sustainability of these developments.

Building the Foundations: Economic and Social Infrastructure

The CBRDP aimed to provide both economic and social infrastructure to rural communities. Economic infrastructure included feeder roads, market structures, and dams, while social infrastructure encompassed boreholes, health centers, schools, and training centers. The provision of such infrastructure was intended to reduce reliance on rain-fed agriculture, improve access to markets, enhance healthcare services, and provide educational opportunities. For example, the construction of feeder roads facilitated the transportation of agricultural products to market centers, which not only benefited farmers by increasing their income but also boosted local economies through increased trade and commerce. Similarly, the installation of boreholes significantly reduced the time women and children spent fetching water, thereby enabling children, particularly girls, to attend school more regularly and allowing women to engage in other productive activities.

Livelihoods Transformed: Positive Impacts of CBRDP

Interviews with beneficiaries and district assembly officials revealed that the infrastructure provided under the CBRDP had a positive impact on the livelihoods of many residents. Health centers and Community Health Planning and Services (CHPS) compounds, for instance, improved access to healthcare by reducing the distance people had to travel for medical services and by decreasing transportation costs associated with seeking healthcare. This, in turn, led to earlier and more frequent use of healthcare services, which improved health outcomes and reduced the loss of working hours due to illness. In agriculture, the provision of dams enabled dry-season farming, reducing the need for seasonal migration by farmers in search of work, thus stabilizing agricultural productivity and income. Additionally, the establishment of training centers provided skills development for artisans such as mechanics, masons, and weavers, creating pathways for self-employment and enhancing the overall economic resilience of these communities.

Challenges of Sustainability: The Cracks Beneath the Surface

However, despite these positive outcomes, the study identified significant challenges related to the sustainability of the infrastructure projects. One major issue was the lack of community involvement in the planning and decision-making processes. Many beneficiaries reported that they were not adequately consulted about the types of infrastructure they needed, leading to a mismatch between the infrastructure provided and the actual needs of the communities. For instance, in some cases, communities that preferred dams for agricultural use were provided with smaller dugouts that could not support farming activities during the dry season. This lack of alignment between community needs and project implementation not only limited the effectiveness of the infrastructure but also contributed to a sense of apathy among beneficiaries, which in turn affected the long-term sustainability of the projects.

The Maintenance Dilemma: A Struggle to Keep Projects Alive

Another challenge was the inadequate maintenance of the infrastructure after the completion of the CBRDP. Delays in payments to contractors and a lack of resources for ongoing maintenance led to the deterioration of some of the infrastructure. In some instances, projects were left incomplete, or the infrastructure fell into disrepair shortly after the program ended. This was compounded by financial constraints at the district assembly level, which hindered their ability to maintain the infrastructure. The study suggests that without proper maintenance and the establishment of dedicated maintenance funds, the long-term benefits of the CBRDP are at risk of being lost, potentially jeopardizing the livelihoods that depend on these developments.

Pathways Forward: Recommendations for Future Programs

Fuseini’s research highlights the importance of a bottom-up approach in rural development programs, where potential beneficiaries are actively involved in identifying their needs and the types of infrastructure that would best address them. This approach fosters a sense of ownership among the community, which is crucial for the sustainability of the infrastructure. Additionally, the study recommends the creation of maintenance funds at both local and national levels to ensure that infrastructure projects are adequately maintained after the completion of development programs. By addressing these issues, future rural development initiatives can be more effective in delivering long-term benefits to the communities they are designed to serve, ultimately contributing to the sustainable improvement of livelihoods in rural Ghana.