Journalists agree on need to scale reportage on environment

All 30 journalists attending a media training in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM), Monday agreed that there was need to do more stories on the environment to counter the raging abuse of water resources.

The journalists, presenting three separate group work reports, were unanimous that the level of environmental reporting particularly on water was very low.

The groups were to answer the questions on the situation on the ground, regarding reportage on the environment, particularly water challenges, and offer solutions.

Reasons given included lack of interests of journalists in the area, poor access to institutions overseeing and regulating water resources, and low capacity of journalists on the issue.

They called for the scaling up of capacity building opportunities on issues pertaining to integrated water resource management for journalists.

The workshop, organized by the Water Resources Commission (WRC) in collaboration with the Volta Regional Chapter of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) had been held in eight other regions.

Presentations were on Water Laws and Policies, Environmental Reporting and the status of Integrated Water Resources Management in Ghana.

Bernard Ampomah, Executive Secretary of the Water Resources Commission said an overview of the situation on the ground indicated that “water resources were under stress”.

He said involving the media was a strategy to get to the people forcefully on the urgent need to conform to good water management practices.

Ronald Abraham, a Consultant at the WRC said attempts at tackling some of the serious abuse of water resources such as the Odaw River project failed because project coverage was limited.

He observed that familiarity was also responsible for the inability of designated agencies to penalize resource abusers.

Mrs Adwoa Dako, Public Relations Officer (PRO), WRC, urged participants to develop interest in environmental issues and make their reports animated to sustain attention of clients.

There was a 30 minutes documentary showing the devastation caused to the Densu River Basin by human activities, including illegal mining.