File photo: Dr Aduko stressed that Ghana’s water bodies are under escalating threat
Ghana could face a severe clean water crisis by 2030 if immediate and collective action is not taken to protect its water resources, Dr. Justice Aduko, Project Manager for Blue Deal Ghana, has warned.
Dr. Aduko issued the caution during a sensitization workshop organized by Blue Deal Ghana for members of the Gambaga-Sub-Basin Committee under the White Volta Basin Secretariat of the Water Resources Commission.
Citing scientific studies, Dr. Aduko stressed that Ghana’s water bodies are under escalating threat due to pollution, illegal mining, poor waste management, and climate change impacts. “The most pressing concern is illegal mining,” he stated. “It not only consumes vast amounts of water but contaminates it with hazardous chemicals, rendering it unsafe for human and environmental use.”
Dr. Aduko explained that the Blue Deal Project, supported by the Dutch government, aims to build local stakeholders’ capacity in water resource management to help avert a global water crisis. The initiative seeks to ensure that 20 million people worldwide gain access to clean, safe, and adequate water.
In Ghana, the project collaborates with the Water Resources Commission, focusing on the White Volta and Lower Volta Basins. It promotes Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) approaches, addressing drinking water, sanitation, irrigation, reforestation, and disaster risk reduction.
Key project elements include strengthening governance systems, enhancing institutional structures, and encouraging knowledge transfer related to water quality, quantity, and safety.
Workshop participants, drawn from various districts and sectors, received training in conflict resolution, trust-building, decision-making, gender dynamics, and effective communication skills, deemed essential for sustainable and coordinated water management at the community level.
Sabastein Salia Yiah, an engineer who participated in the training, described the workshop as transformative. “It was a real eye-opener. Before we can educate others about water conservation, we need to be well-informed ourselves. Each of us has a critical role in protecting our water bodies, especially as climate change intensifies,” he said.
Dr. Aduko reaffirmed Blue Deal Ghana’s commitment to equipping stakeholders, including local opinion leaders, with tools and strategies to protect water resources, such as tree planting, proper waste management, and combating illegal mining near water sources.
“Water is life,” he concluded. “Without it, sustainable development is impossible. We must act now, and we must act together.”