By Stanley Senya
Accra, Oct. 9, GNA – The Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) and IRC Ghana have held a national engagement to share preliminary insights from a study aimed at identifying the drivers and barriers to advancing safely managed water services in rural Ghana.
The meeting brought together government representatives, development partners, civil society organisations, private sector actors, and researchers to discuss the findings and provide recommendations to inform national policy and planning.
The study, titled “Drivers and Barriers to Advancing Safely Managed Water Services in Rural Ghana,” forms part of ongoing efforts to understand why progress towards safely managed water services remains slow in many parts of the country despite substantial investment and reforms in the water sector.
Mrs Basilia Nanbigne, Executive Secretary Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation Sector (CONIWAS), said the forum was designed to encourage dialogue and learning among sector stakeholders.
She noted that safely managed water services required attention not only to infrastructure but also to governance, financing, monitoring, and community engagement.
Mr Jeremiah Atengdem of IRC Ghana noted that the findings from the study would contribute to ongoing national discussions on achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6, which seeks to ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.
He called for enhanced collaboration among government agencies, NGOs, and local authorities to strengthen water governance and ensure that all Ghanaians, regardless of location, benefit from safely managed and sustainable water services.
The engagement also reflected on lessons from the Asutifi North Ahonidie Mpontuo (ANAM) initiative, which introduced a comprehensive district-wide approach to achieving sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services for all residents by 2030.
The success of the ANAM approach has inspired its expansion to the remaining five districts in the Ahafo Region, targeting universal WASH access for nearly 600,000 people by 2030.
Participants at the engagement stressed the importance of multi-stakeholder partnerships, sustained investment, and effective local governance in ensuring reliable and equitable water services in rural areas.
They also called for a stronger focus on building local capacity and integrating community voices into planning and decision-making.
Discussions highlighted persistent challenges such as inadequate financing, weak monitoring systems, and limited coordination among institutions responsible for water service delivery.
Stakeholders underscored that safely managed water extended beyond access to include quality, affordability, and reliability elements that remain uneven across rural communities.
GNA
Christian Akorlie