Head of Strategy, Policy and Campaigns at WaterAid, Ibrahim Musah, has made an urgent call to the government to treat climate crisis as a water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) issue, pointing to its immense impact on access to safe water and proper sanitation.

During an exclusive interview on JoyNews Desk on Monday, March 30, 2026, Musah elaborated saying that climate change is creating new and complex challenges within the WASH sector, making it a pressing canker for both the government and local communities.

He noted that WaterAid is working closely with the National Development Planning Commission to assist five districts in the Upper East Region in incorporating climate change into their development plans.

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These include Bongo District, Nabdam District, Kassena Nankana Municipal, and Kassena Nankana West District.

Referencing the National Water Policy in 2024, developed by the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, he termed it as a forward-looking framework designed to anticipate and respond to the effects of climate change.

Musah further revealed that efforts are ongoing to finalize Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are expected to strengthen the country’s climate resilience strategy.

“Communities are already beginning to see the benefits of the Climate WASH Resilience Fund, which is supporting grassroots adaptation initiatives,” he said.

Musah stressed that empowering communities to take part in local planning processes will be essential to ensuring that climate adaptation measures are both effective and sustainable.

SO/VPO

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