Gov’t guilty of water policy contradiction – Civil Society groups

Government is engaged in policy contradictions that weaken the calls for citizens’ and non-state actors’ co-operation in efforts aimed at scaling up access to clean, potable water, according to a quartet of indigenous civil society organisations.

“In our opinion, Ghana is not reaping the full benefits of her huge water resource potential” because “Policy contradictions of the government have led to the poor water resource management ,” the Centre for Environmental Impact Analysis (CEIA), Wacam, the Gender and Environmental Monitoring Advocates (GEMA) and Humanity Focus Foundation (HFF) have argued.

In a statement issued in commemoration of last Fridays’ World Water Day (WWD) 2013, the quartet explained that “The decision of the government to open up forest reserves for mining operations meant the sanctioning of the destruction of watersheds and by extension the killing of rivers and water bodies”.

They cited government’s granted mining lease to Newmont Gold Ghana Limited Akyem Mine to undertake surface mining in the Ajenua-Bepo Forest Reserve, which is the watershed for rivers such as Yaayaa, Adenkyensu, Alotosu, Afosu, Aprapon and Owonta.

In view of Ghana’s practice of a progressive political system that makes governments inherit decisions of previous administrations, the quartet held the present administration responsible for the deeds of its predecessors.

Even so, the organisations recognised the need for non-state actors to co-operate with government in order to secure the nation against experts’ prediction that Ghana would face severe water crisis by 2025.

“The current water stress situation in Ghana indicates that more needs to be done by all stakeholders to foster a smooth cooperation in water management,” CEIA and the others noted.

They opined, however, that government must take the lead on co-operation by withdrawing “Environmental Permits it has granted to mining companies to mine in forest reserves of Ghana to demonstrate its commitment to the protection of our water resources.”