Accra-Ghana, March 23, GNA – A ROCHA Ghana, a conservation-oriented organisation, says Ghana’s water sources are decreasing in quality and quantity and need urgent acceleration of change to avert crisis.
It said the situation was caused by illegal mining, destruction of headwaters, destruction of vegetation along riverbanks and pollution from activities such as agricultural, landscape changes and climate change.
In a statement, A ROCHA Ghana said: “The destruction of forests that house and protect headwaters and are sources of both major and minor rivers in Ghana that provide water for millions of Ghanaians is alarming.”
“Eight years after the world committed to Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 as part of the 2030 Agenda (the promise that everyone would have safely managed water and sanitation by 2030), it looks like we are seriously off-track,” it said.
The statement was in connection with this year’s World Water Day, commemorated, March 22, with the theme: “Accelerating Change” to raise awareness and inspire action to tackle the water and sanitation crisis.
It called on Government and institutions clothed with the responsibility to ensure safe environment, clean and safe water to protect the forest, water bodies, sources and ecosystems whilst intensifying education and awareness.
“Ensure adequate investment in institutions like the Water Resources Commission (WRC), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), and in infrastructure and innovation to realise the benefits and reduce risks,” the statement said.
The United Nations (UN) says dysfunction throughout the water cycle undermines progress on all major global issues, from health to hunger, gender equality to jobs, education to industry, and disasters to peace.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says though access to water in Ghana has improved significantly, one person out of every 10 has to spend more than 30 minutes to access improved source of drinking water.
The Fund says another 11 per cent of the population still drinks from surface and other unsafe water sources.
