Grounding Water Politics in Place: A comparative analysis of clean water access in Accra and Akosombo

My paper will explore the consequences of water privatization in Ghana to understand how colonial and post-colonial events have aided in shaping water policy in Ghana. Through a post-colonial feminist and political ecology framework, I will analyze the effects of the water bottle and sachet industry alongside the overall process of water privatization including piped water and the advent of multinational water companies. This paper will incorporate intersectionality, health, politics, gender, socioeconomic status, and history. By comparing two places in Ghana, Accra and Akosombo, respectively urban and rural areas, I will analyze how fluctuating water policy has affected Ghanaians’ health, attitudes, and access to water overtime. I will conclude by covering the resistance movements that emerged in retaliation to water privatization, which eventually culminated in the reinstatement of government control.