When the rain comes but water does not stay: inside Dungu's water crisis

Abdul Wahab Maryam wakes up at dawn in Dungu and reaches for an empty jerrycan because there is no water. She checks the plastic jerrycans lined against the wall of her hostel room near the University for Development Studies (UDS), but they are dry. She says, "Sometimes you wake up, check your jars and basins, and there is nothing."

Dungu is a rapidly expanding settlement surrounding one of northern Ghana's largest public universities, where water scarcity has become part of daily life. The taps have fallen silent, and Tahiru Alhassan Mohammed, who has lived in Dungu since 2018, says, "For the past four years, not a drop has come from our taps." The pipelines installed by the Ghana Water Company Limited still run through the community, but residents say they have remained dry. The UDS's Tamale Campus serves approximately 6,890 students, many of whom depend on Dungu for accommodation.

Stephen Amihere, Northern Regional Chief Manager of the Ghana Water Company Limited, says, "On average, we produce about 35,000 cubic meters of water a day," but "demand is around 90,000 cubic meters daily." He says about 52 per cent of the water produced in Tamale is lost or unaccounted for, mainly due to illegal connections. The company owes more than GH¢50 million. The company has begun replacing parts and plans to invest in new pumps, but securing funding remains a challenge.