The 2024 World Water Day celebration on the theme, “Promoting utilisation of water for peace” was yesterday launched in Accra.
This year’s celebration has been set aside to focus attention on the desire to leverage water for peace and prosperity, emphasising the need to safeguard water resources, and outlining essential strategies to address water challenges within our nation.
Speaking at the launch, the Deputy Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, Mr Amidu Issahaku Chinnia, underscored the crucial importance of leveraging water for peace and prosperity.
He said, peaceful utilisation of water resources is fundamental to sustainable development and the promotion of health.
He said three billion people rely on transboundary water resources globally, with 2.2 billion people lacking access to safe drinking water.
“Water scarcity is affecting 40 per cent of the world’s population,” he said.
Addressing specific challenges within Ghana, the Deputy Minister revealed that as of 2023, only 58.8 per cent of water bodies maintained good ambient water quality.
“Various anthropogenic activities such as fish farming and illegal mining (galamsey) activities contribute to pollution and water shortages,” he said.
Despite these challenges, he said Government through the ministry has been proactive in managing water resources, “the construction of water supply systems, implementation of the Revised National Water Policy, and continuous monitoring of water resources”.
Additionally, Mr Chinnia said the development of the National Drinking Water Quality Management Framework and the rollout of Water Safety Plans demonstrate ongoing efforts to ensure access to safe and clean water for all citizens.
He said government was committed to addressing water challenges and promoting peace through the responsible management of water resources.
“With collective efforts and innovative solutions, Ghana aims to ensure access to safe water for all citizens while safeguarding its precious water bodies for future generations,” he said.
The Executive Secretary of the Water Resources Commission, Mr Bob Alfa, said the day is celebrated globally to recognise the importance of water and to focus on the critical role water plays in the stability and prosperity of the world.
“When water is scarce or polluted, people will have unequal or no access that can lead to conflicts between communities and countries. More than three billion people worldwide depend on water that crosses national borders.
“Yet, out of 153 countries that share rivers, lakes and aquifers with their neighbours, only a few countries have formal cooperation agreements for all their shared water,” he said.
According to Mr Alfa, as climate change impact increases, with growth in population, there was the need to unite in protecting and conserving the precious resource.
“Indeed, water is a catalyst for economic development, we therefore need to quicken our efforts at every level to protect our shared water sources,” he said.
BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG
