Accra, Nov. 01, GNA - A research scientist has asked the government to take decisive steps to manage the country’s water resources to ensure its sustainability.
The observed temperature increase as a result of the climate crisis and poor management of water resources like illegal mining, pesticide pollution and poor waste management will make water availability less available at certain periods.
Dr Barnabas Amisigo, a Principal Research Scientist at the Water Research Institute of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (WRI-CSIR) made the call at a bi-annual seminar series organised by WRI-CSIR.
The event, which seeks to promote sustainable exploration, use and management of water resources, was on the theme: “Ghana’s Water Security: Rethinking the Value of Water.”
Dr Amisigo advised the government to invest in water harvesting and storage as well as address pollution issues through consensus building.
To adapt to climate change, he suggested that the government commit funding to more research to develop technologies that would ensure access to water by all, especially those in the rural areas.
Dr Amisigo stated that the water scarcity profile showed that the level of the water stress index had begun dropping from 1568 meter cubes per capita per year in 2020 and was likely to drop to 1021 by 2050.
He said there were three river systems, which include the Volta Rivers, South-Western Rivers Coastal Rivers contributed 64.7, 29.2, and 6.1 per cent run off.
The country, Dr Amisigo stated, relied heavily on renewable freshwater resources for socioeconomic development including agriculture, hydropower production, industrial activity, or for the general health and well-being of the citizenry.
“However, due to the climatic conditions in the country, this vital resource is not uniformly distributed in space and time. As a result, we get an abundance (sometimes overabundance) in certain parts of the country at certain times and little or none at all at other parts and times.
“Inappropriate human activities in river basins of the country pollute much of the resource and contribute to a reduction in its availability for use.”
Dr Amisigo said, per the general projections of the impact of climate change the country was likely to witness increases in the occurrence and intensity of floods and droughts, though the direction of change in mean rainfall was unclear.
The water resources of the country and the livelihood support systems that depend on them are highly vulnerable to climate change.
GNA