Prosper Bazaanah is a Research Scientist at the Water Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR-WRI). He holds a PhD in Development Studies from the University of Johannesburg, a Master’s degree in Development Studies from the University of Cape Coast, and a Bachelors degree in Political Science with Philosophy, from the University of Ghana. He is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow (PDRF) at the University of Pretoria, under the Future Africa Research Leadership programme funded by the Carnegie Corporation, (New York, USA) and hosted by the CSIR-Water Research Institute. 

His research interests and areas of expertise include water and sanitation governance; community development; development studies; political ecology/ economy; decentralization and local governance. Prior to joining CSIR-WRI, Dr Bazaanah worked as a Lecturer with the Department of Anthropology and Development Studies, University of Johannesburg. He has expertise or coordinating research and development programmes in areas of water and sanitation governance, rural livelihoods, and sustainable development, some of which have been published either as policy briefs, peer-reviewed journals, conference papers, or books/book chapters.

He’s currently a postgraduate research supervisor at the Management College for Southern Africa (MANCOSA) and external PhD examiner for universities including the Mzuzu University (Malawi) and Witwatersrand University (South Africa). He serves as a reviewer and editorial boards of different journals.

Fellowships/ Awards /Grants:

• 2022 – 2024: Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (PDRF), Future Africa Institute, University of Pretoria (South Africa) and Carnegie Corporation (New York, USA).
• 2018 – 2021, PhD Scholarship /Grant, jointly funded by National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), South Africa and The Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), Senegal.
• 2018 – 2021, PhD Award (Merit category). Awarded four-year postgraduate Merit Bursary for PhD Studies by University of Johannesburg, South Africa.
• 2009-2012, Government of Ghana Bursary Award, Scholarship Secretariat, Ghana

Research Interest:

My research interest lies in exploration of transdisciplinary pathways to water and sanitation governance, community development and sustainable development, using perspectives and principles from political ecology/ economy and multilevel-governance approaches.

Research Projects/Consultancies

2024             Consultancy: National Inventory of Commercial Water Suppliers & Users and Stakeholder Payment of Ecosystem Services in the Pra & Volta Basins of Ghana, Funded by World Bank. Responsibility: Co-investigator.

2023- 2024     Consultancy: Survey on Small-Scale Trade in Artisanal Fisheries in Ghana: Assessing Gender Dimensions in Fish Marketing and Trade for Inclusive Development. Fund bed by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO, United Nations). Responsibility: Co-investigator, responsible for design of instruments, literature review, supervision of data collection/data entry, socio-cultural analysis, stakeholder engagement & technical reporting

2022-2024,  Research Project: Community participation in governance and sustainability of rural community water and sanitation systems in the Savannah Region, Ghana, Funded by Future Africa (South Africa) and Carnegie Corporation (New York, USA). Responsibility: Project Investigator (PI)

2022           Consultancy: Dangote Sugar Project-Ghana: A Preliminary Hydrological Study Report, Funded by Dangote Sugar Refinery PLC. Responsibility: Co-investigator

2018 – 2021  Research project: Community water governance for sustainable local development in northern Ghana. Funded by National Institute for the Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS), South Africa and the Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA): Responsibility: Principal investigator 

Publications:

Journals:

1. Obuobie, E., Osei, M.A., Addi, M., Agyekum, J., ·Akurugu, B.A., Bazaanah, P., Gaisie‑Essilfie, A. E., & Appiah, G. (2025). Analysis of Spatio-temporal Trends in Climate Extremes in the Lower Volta Basin, Ghana. Journal of Theoretical and Applied Climatology, (2025) 156:120, doi: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-024-05316-8
2. Bazaanah, P., Buthelezi, S. J., & Oppong, D. A. K. (2024). Qualitative study of drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene access: Perspectives from the Central Gonja District, Ghana, and Mtubatuba Municipality, South Africa. Journal of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for Development. https://doi.org/10.2166/washdev.2024.021
3. Bazaanah, P., & Ngcobo, P. (2024). Shadow of justice: review on women’s struggle against gender-based violence in Ghana and South Africa. SN Social Sciences (2024) 4:126 https://doi.org/10.1007/s43545-024-00926-5
4. Bazaanah, P., and Mothapo, R.A. (2023) Sustainability of drinking water and sanitation delivery systems in rural communities of the Lepelle Nkumpi Local Municipality, South Africa. Environment, Development and Sustainability, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-023-03190-4
5. Tom, H.O., Bazaanah, P., Da Coaster, J., Deka, N., Domelles, A.Z., Greenwell, M.P., Nagarajan, M., Narasimhan, K., Obuobie, E., Osei, M. A. and Nigel, G. (2023). Empowering citizen-led adaptation to systemic climate change risks. Nature Climate Change (2023). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-023-01712-6
6. Bazaanah, P. and Litabe, M. N. (2023). Community Participation in Water and Sanitation Service Delivery: An Empirical Case of Mantsopa Municipality, South Africa. Big Data in Water Resources Engineering, 4(2): 16 – 20
7. Nojiyeza, I., Mtapuri, O., Bazaanah, P., & Netshiozwi. E. (2022), Handbook of Research on Resource Management and the Struggle for Water Sustainability in Africa (ed.). New York: http://doi:10.4018/978-1-7998-8809-3
8. Bazaanah, P., and Dakura, M. (2021). Comparative analysis of the performance of rope-pump and standardised handpump water systems in rural communities of the Northern and Upper East Regions. Groundwater for Sustainable Development. Volume 13 (May 2021). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gsd.2021.100563
9. Bazaanah, P. and Chilaule, L. (2021). Formalisation of informal economies and sustainable local development in Africa: Cases of Egypt and Mozambique. African Journal of Economic and Sustainable Development. Volume 8 (2) 140 – 150:https://doi.org/10.1504/AJESD.2021.114534  

13. Bazaanah, P. (2019). Sustainability of rural communities drinking water systems and local development projects in the Bole, West and Central Gonja Districts of the Savannah Region, Ghana. Review of Social Sciences. Vol. 4. No. 1: Issue 1: (pp. 16 – 36) Available online: https://www.socialsciencejournal.org/index.php/site/article/view/140/62
14. Bazaanah, P. (2020). Political ecology of water resource governance in Ghana: Towards decentralization and participatory water governance in rural communities of the Savannah Region. International Journal of Political Science and Development. Vol.8 (6).252-279: https://www.academicresearchjournals.org/IJPSD/PDF/2020/June/Bazaanah.pdf
15. Bazaanah, P. (2019). Local governance, inter-governmental funding and sustainable socio- economic development in Gomoa West District, Ghana. International Journal of Development and Sustainability (IJDS), Vol.8. (Issue 12): 834-857.https://isdsnet.com/ijds-v8n12-06.pdf  
16. Bazaanah, P. (2019). Evaluating the effects of household socio-demographic elements on the determination of drinking water quality and quantity in rural savannah communities of northern Ghana. International Journal of Economics, Commerce and Management, Vol. VII, Issue 7: (pp.356– 405). Available online:http://ijecm.co.uk/wpcontent/uploads/2019/08/7823.pdf

Books and Book Chapters:

1. Bazaanah, P. (2022). Ecological governance and sustainability of rural households water conservation systems in the Savannah Region of Ghana. In I. Nojiyeza, O. Mtapuri, P. Bazaanah, & E. Netshiozwi (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Resource Management and the Struggle for Water Sustainability in Africa(pp. 1-46). IGI Global: New York. https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/ecological-governance-and-the-sustainability-of-rural-household-water-conservation-systems-in-the-savannah-region-of-ghana/295923
2. Nojiyeza, , Mtapuri, O., Bazaanah, P., & Netshiozwi. E. (2022), Handbook of Research on Resource Management and the Struggle for Water Sustainability in Africa(ed.). New York: IGI Global. https://www.igi-global.com/book/handbook-research-resource-management-struggle/273497
3. Marley, G. N., Bazaanah, P. and Oppong, P. (2022). Non-governmental Organizations in water and sanitation management: A case of Tunayilli of the Sanerigu District. In I. Nojiyeza, O. Mtapuri, P. Bazaanah, & E. Netshiozwi (Eds.), Handbook of Research on Resource Management and the Struggle for Water Sustainability in Africa. IGI Global: New York. https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/examining-the-role-of-ngos-in-community-water-and-sanitation–improvement/295924
4. Bazaanah, P. (2018). Assessing the Socio-economic needs of Communities in Jachie-Pramso of the Bosomtwi District in the Ashanti Region, Ghana: Germany, LAP Lambert Academic Publishing. Available Online:https://www.morebooks.shop/store/gb/book/assessing-thesocioeconomicneeds-of-communities-in-jachie-pramso/isbn/978-613-9-57827-6

5. Bazaanah, P. and Mensah, J.V. (2013). Decentralisation, Revenue Mobilization and Development in Ghana: Germany, Lap Lambert Publishing. Available online; https://www.amazon.com/Decentralisation-Revenue-Mobilisation DevelopmentGhana/dp/3659404713