Ghanaians have been charged to hold accountable individuals whose actions and inactions degrade the environment.
The Central Regional Chief Manager of the Ghana Water Limited (GWL), Mr. Eric Seth Atiapah, who gave the charge, explained that pollution of water bodies and degradation of the environment were making it too expensive for the GWL to operate water treatment plants in many communities in the country.
" ...Let us hold accountable those who exploit and degrade our environment for their own gain," he said.
Mr. Atiapah expressed worry that if nothing was done about water pollution, the nation would struggle in the future to access potable water.
He envisaged that water shortage in the country may result in conflict among the citizenry if steps were not taken to halt the practice.
“Water scarcity is affecting 40 percent of the world’s population,” he said.
Dr. Atiapah made the remarks at the 2024 World Water Day Celebration on the theme: "Water for Peace."
Central Regional Chief Manager of GWL, Mr. E. S. Atiapah addressing participants
It was organised by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering under the School of Sustainable Engineering of the University of Cape Coast (UCC).
World Water Day is to celebrate water and raise awareness about billions across the globe living without access to safe water.
Continuing, Mr. Atiapah mentioned how illegal mining, popularly called galamsey, had destroyed the water source at the Bonsa Water Treatment Plant in the Western Region.
According to him, water scarcity makes communities in Ghana to likely come into conflict with one another and underlined the need for partnerships between the public and private sectors for the protection and conservation of water resources.
The Dean of the School of Sustainable Engineering, Prof. Robert Sarpong Amoah, who chaired the occasion, underscored the importance of leveraging water for peace and prosperity.
He said the peaceful utilisation of water resources was fundamental to sustainable development and health promotion.
A section of participants in the celebration
Prof. Amoah warned that Ghana risks importing water with the increasing devastation to the country’s river bodies by illegal miners.
The Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Prof. Peter Appiah Obeng, said World Water 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 which can lead to conflicts between communities and countries. More than three billion people worldwide depend on water that crosses national borders," he continued.
He noted that any country where getting water was a crisis can undermine its peace because its lack or absence cannot eradicate the need for its use.
According to him, as climate change impact increases, with population growth, there is the need to unite in protecting and conserving the precious resource.
Call to fight against galamsey
Mr. Nicholas Okyere, Quality Water Department-GWL presenting the Communique
Ahead of the World Water Day celebration, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering organised a stakeholder workshop on the impact of illegal mining (galamsey) on the supply of water to Cape Coast and Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis and surrounding communities. As a result, a communique was issued calling on Ghanaians to take the issue of galamsey personally.
Full communique
· The Pra River is so polluted that traditional alum used for water treatment can no longer be used for its treatment. An alternative chemical which is effective but more expensive is being used.
· The pollution is as a result of galamsey ongoing in the river and sometimes very close to the abstraction points of the water treatment plants.
· If galamsey is not stopped, water supply to Sekondi-Takoradi, Elmina, Cape Coast and adjoining communities will be challenged.
· Rivers and forest reserves are no-go areas.
· We should take the issue of galamsey personal because the harm it poses directly or indirectly affects all of us.
· Culprits of illegal mining should face consequences regardless of who they are.
· Government must invest in research to better understand the impact of illegal mining in Ghana to inform policy decisions for targeted interventions.
· Integrated Water Resources Management in Ghana should be coordinated and seek to integrate land use, ground and surface water quality and quantity.
· Community engagement must seek to appeal to the conscience of the people in the community.
· The chiefs must be given the mandate to operate as it was in time past to curb illegal mining.
· The communities must have strong collaborations with the police to apprehend those involved in galamsey.
· The government should adequately support the military and the police with logistics that match the work to ensure effective protection of our water resources.
· A committee is to be set up to holistically look at the Pra River basin with set time in the area of monitoring and evaluation of our water resources to inform decision-making.
Source: Documentation and Information Section-UCC