Participants in a stakeholder forum in Tamale have called for urgent and coordinated action to regulate sand mining and other human activities that threaten the White Volta River, to safeguard water security and sustainable livelihoods in the Greater Tamale area.
They said the continued degradation of the river, which serves as the main source of raw water for the Ghana Water Limited’s Tamale Water Treatment Plant, poses serious risks to public health, food security, economic activities and the long-term sustainability of water supply.
They pointed out that unchecked sand mining, unsustainable farming practices and the destruction of vegetation along the riverbanks were accelerating erosion, increasing water turbidity and driving up the cost of water treatment, making immediate intervention critical to protecting the river.
Event
Organised by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) in collaboration with the Northern Regional Coordinating Council (NRCC), the Water Resources Commission (WRC) and the Minerals Commission, the second Regional Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Sustainable Sand Mining was on the theme “Protecting the White Volta River for Water Security and Sustainable Livelihoods”.
The forum provided a platform for stakeholders to review and validate a Draft Integrated Regulatory Framework on Sustainable Sand Mining developed by the Technical Working Group on Sustainable Sand Mining to guide environmentally sustainable and community-based sand mining within the Nawuni sub-catchment and the wider White Volta River Basin.
The forum attracted more than 120 participants, including representatives of the NRCC, district assemblies, traditional authorities, regulatory institutions, academia, civil society organisations, tipper truck unions, excavator owners, sand miners and the media.
It formed part of ongoing interventions funded by Guinness Ghana, Diageo Nigeria and The Nature Conservancy, aimed at restoring the White Volta River Basin, improving water security and promoting sustainable livelihoods.
Threat to water security
The White Volta River Basin, which covers about 400,000 square kilometres, is a major source of water for millions of people in Northern Ghana.
However, unregulated sand mining, unsustainable agricultural practices and degradation of riparian vegetation have significantly reduced water quality and quantity, increasing treatment costs and threatening livelihoods.
A study conducted by the CRS and the Water Resources Commission estimated that more than 15 million cubic metres of sand had accumulated in the Nawuni sub-catchment, highlighting the need for regulated, environmentally responsible extraction.
Assessment
The Head of Programming at the CRS Ghana, Dr Francis Gumah, said the forum was an important milestone towards achieving consensus on sustainable sand mining.
“This forum is a pivotal step in building consensus around sustainable sand mining. By making inputs to and validating the draft regulatory framework and engaging diverse stakeholders, we are laying the foundation for resilient watershed management and sustainable livelihoods,” he said.
Dr Gumah said an assessment conducted by the CRS, in collaboration with stakeholders, had revealed a steady decline in the quality and quantity of water entering the Tamale Water Treatment Plant.
He attributed the deterioration to illegal sand mining, unsustainable farming practices and deforestation within the White Volta catchment.
He said the CRS had begun working with stakeholders to identify and demarcate buffer zones and to introduce alternative livelihood opportunities for communities living along the river to reduce pressure on the water source.
Commitment
In a speech read on his behalf, the Northern Regional Minister, Ali Adolf John Mburidiba, reaffirmed his outfit’s commitment to combating illegal sand mining.
He said the White Volta remained the primary source of water for Tamale, making its protection a shared responsibility.
He said the NRCC would continue to collaborate with district assemblies, traditional authorities, and regulatory agencies to ensure the effective implementation of the Draft Integrated Regulatory Framework and called on all stakeholders to support it.
Water quality
For his part, the Northern Regional Water Quality Manager of the Ghana Water Limited, Sulemana Alhassan, said unregulated sand mining had already increased the cost of treating water supplied to consumers in Tamale.
He explained that the destruction of vegetation along the river catchment exposed the soil to erosion, allowing runoff to carry suspended materials into the river and increasing water turbidity.
