Politicians have been called upon to pay critical attention to the problem of water whenever they are seeking the mandate of the people, rather than to lay emphasis on fuel and fuel prices, which became prominent during the 2008 electioneering campaign.
Madam Adwoa Paintsil, a Water Quality Specialist at the Water Resources Commission (WRC) made this call in Kumasi, last Wednesday, at a workshop designed to educate the citizenry on how to manage water.
She also urged that providing Ghanaians with quality water or and advising them on how to manage water efficiently, in order to develop the socio-economic growth of the nation. Outlining some of the major challenges for water managers, she mentioned �Securing water for people, securing water for food production, developing other job creating activities, protecting vital ecosystems, dealing with variability of water in time and space, forging political will/traditional authority to act, ensuring collaboration across sectors and boundaries,� among others.
Quoting the World Water Commission�s �Frame for Action� (The Hague, March 2000), Madam Paintsil said �Every human being, now and in the future, should have enough and clean water for drinking, appropriate sanitation and enough food and energy at a reasonable cost. Providing adequate water to meet these basic needs must be done in a matter that works in harmony with nature.� She noted that water development and management should be based on a participatory approach involving users, planners and policy-makers at all levels, and emphasized that women play a central part in the provision, management and safeguarding of water for that matter should be given the chance to partake in decisions making in regards to water management.
She stated that the WRC which was established by an Act of Parliament (Act 522 of 1996) as the overall body responsible for water resources management in Ghana, is mandated to regulate and manage the utilization of water resources and also to co-ordinate relevant government policies in relation to them.
On her part, Mrs. Adwoa Makuah Darko, the Communication Director of WRC, said it was mandatory for the WRC to undertake activities such as monitoring quality water, development policies (integrated water policy, buffer zone policy), setting up of basins boards (Densu, White and Volta basins) , developing of regulations , granting water use permits among others.
She also disclosed that under the Local Government Act 462, the District Assemblies are the custodians of natural resources including water and that District Assemblies shall work with the WRC to inspect works that affect a water body in line with section 29 of Act 522 in the protection of water resources. She also advised the general public from throwing unwanted materials into gutters and streams which she said even though could be treated, it could also cause the outbreak of diseases such as malaria and cholera.
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