By Albert Futukpor
Tamale, Sept 6, GNA – The White Volta Basin Watershed Fund has been launched to restore and conserve the critical ecological infrastructure of the White Volta Basin to improve the quality and quantity of water supply to the Greater Tamale area.
The White Volta Basin Watershed Fund, which is a public-private partnership, seeks to ensure improved water security through well-restored and protected water source areas of the White Volta Basin.
The partners are the Water Resources Commission under the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Ghana Water Company Limited, Catholic Relief Services, Water Funds for Africa, and the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, amongst others.
Madam Lydia Seyram Alhassan, Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources, whose speech was read on her behalf during the launch in Tamale, said the initiative represented a collaborative and holistic approach to bringing together government, private sector, non-government organisations and local communities to invest in source water protection and watershed management.
Rapid population growth coupled with climate change’s effects has led to pressure on the White Volta Basin in the form of pollution threatening water supply to towns and communities.
This necessitated the establishment of the Fund to facilitate investment in nature-based solutions that are essential in ensuring the integrity of the ecological systems.
Madam Alhassan said: “This is not just a financial mechanism but rather a commitment to the sustainable management of our environment and the well-being of our people.”
She commended the partners for their support and reiterated the government’s commitment to protecting the various water and environmental resources of the country.
Dr Bob Alfa, Acting Executive Secretary of the Water Resources Commission, said investment in the health of the catchment areas of the White Volta Basin would “ensure that our water resources are managed sustainably both for now and the future generations.”
He said the Water Resources Commission would commit human resources and an amount of GHc1.5 million to the Fund to support its operations.
Mr. Wilfred Haruna, Acting Country Representative of Catholic Relief Services, explained that the Fund would not replace the government’s mandate, and the restoration and protection efforts but rather complement existing interventions to secure Tamale’s water supply for the future.
He said the Fund would work collectively with relevant authorities to support and investigate potential models of advocacy that could harmonise interests and priorities in the White Volta Basin.
He said private sector engagements would be held to raise resources for the Fund.
Alhaji Shani Alhassan Saibu, Northern Regional Minister, was happy that the Fund was designed to support alternative livelihood strategies by helping communities transition from harmful activities to restoring ecological integrity around critical water intake points.
Ya-Na Abukari (II), Overlord of Dagbon Traditional Area, who was represented at the event, appealed to the partners to implement a similar strategy for the River Dakar Basin to help address the perennial water shortage at Yendi and other neighbouring communities.
Meanwhile, a Steering Committee for the Fund comprising representatives from the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Water Resources Commission, Ghana Water Company Limited, Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation and Environmental Protection Agency has been set up to help guide the next phase of the Fund to ensure improved catchment management.
GNA