By Edward Acquah
Accra, Nov. 27, GNA – The Embassy of Denmark and UNICEF have launched a USD14 million initiative to expand access to safe drinking water in vulnerable low-income urban areas in Ghana.
The four-year Water Access and Water Efficiency for Low-Income Areas in Ghana project is expected to benefit about 100,000 people, including an estimated 40,000 children.
A signing ceremony was held at the residence of the Danish Ambassador in Accra to formalise the commencement of the project.
The initiative, to be implemented with Ghana Water Limited (GWL), will focus on underserved communities in Wa and Bolgatanga, where existing water production facilities at Jambusi and Tono currently operate below 40 per cent of capacity.
It will support expansion of water piping networks, improve operational efficiency, and establish a sustainable funding mechanism for low-income households.
Mr Jakob Linulf, the Danish Ambassador to Ghana, said Denmark remained committed to improving access to safe water, noting that he had visited northern Ghana and observed the urgent need for intervention.
“It’s a project of 100 million Danish Krone, and it will run for the next few years providing clean water for people in the northern part of Ghana,” he said.
Mr Osama Makkawi Khogali, UNICEF Representative in Ghana, said the initiative would help address inequities in water access and support climate-resilient systems.
He said many families in northern Ghana “often struggle to find safe water,” adding that the renewed partnership with Denmark was contributing to “ground-breaking advancements in communities where the harshest impacts of climate change are felt.”
Mr Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, Minister for Works, Housing and Water Resources, said the project aligned with government priorities on universal access to safe, reliable and affordable water.
He described water as “a fundamental human right and a cornerstone of health, dignity and economic empowerment,” adding that the project would address gaps created by rapid urbanisation, rising demand and non-revenue water.
He said the initiative would also pilot a Social Connection Fund under the revised National Water Policy to reduce upfront connection costs for low-income households, ensuring services were responsive to community needs.
Mr Adam Mutawakilu, Managing Director of Ghana Water Limited, said the intervention would provide about 9,000 new household connections and improve public standpipes where individual connections were not immediately possible.
He said Denmark had been “a true partner” whose support over the years continued to strengthen the country’s water systems.
Ghana currently records a 57 per cent gap in access to safely managed drinking water despite progress toward Sustainable Development Goal Six.
The initiative forms part of broader national efforts under the Ghana WASH Sector Development Programme and the Big Push Agenda to improve infrastructure, efficiency and sustainability in the water sector.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey