Abidjan, June 23, GNA- The Volta Basin Authority (VBA) has called on media professionals in West Africa to support efforts to address environmental degradation, climate change and water governance challenges affecting the Volta Basin.
The appeal was made at a Regional Capacity Building, Mobilisation and Media Production Workshop for journalists and communication professionals ahead of the 5th Volta Basin Stakeholders Forum in Abidjan.
Dr Dibi Millogo, Deputy Executive Director and Head of Operations of the VBA, said journalists had a critical role in promoting environmental sustainability and mobilising public support for the protection of water resources and ecosystems.
“The media are not merely observers of ongoing transformations. They can become catalysts for those transformations,” he said.
He urged journalists to translate scientific and technical information into accessible and compelling stories that encourage environmental responsibility and community action.
Dr Millogo said the Volta Basin, which supports millions of people across six countries, faced growing threats from climate change, recurrent floods and droughts, ecosystem degradation, population growth and increasing pressure on natural resources.
He noted that while investments and policy interventions remained important, sustainable solutions also depended on public awareness, stakeholder participation and effective communication.
The workshop aimed to strengthen media understanding of water governance, climate change and ecosystem conservation, while building a regional network of journalists committed to sustainable development issues within the basin.
Dr Rafatou Fofana, Acting Director of the Volta Basin Observatory at the VBA, said increasing demand for water, land degradation and deteriorating ecosystems posed significant challenges to the basin’s sustainability.
She said the basin’s population, estimated at 35 million in 2025, was projected to increase to 68 million by 2046, intensifying pressure on available water resources.
Dr Fofana identified droughts, floods, declining access to safe drinking water, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, inadequate sanitation and competition over natural resources as key governance challenges.
She underscored the need for Integrated Water Resources Management, regional cooperation and inclusive governance to ensure the sustainable and equitable use of shared water resources.
Dr Fofana also advocated the ratification of the Volta Basin Water Charter, enhanced climate adaptation measures, improved financing and stronger collaboration among member states.
Participants were also briefed on an assessment being undertaken under the Reversing Ecosystem and Water Resources Degradation Trends in the Volta River Basin (REWarD) Project.
Officials said the assessment would generate data to support evidence-based decisions on ecosystem protection and natural resource management.
“The assessment will map ecosystems and the services they provide, examine socio-economic benefits, analyse threats to biodiversity and evaluate the impacts of environmental degradation on communities.
“The study will also include a gender analysis of water use and ecosystem services, while identifying actions needed to protect and restore critical ecosystems,”
Facilitators said ecosystem degradation, water pollution, sedimentation, loss of vegetation cover and invasive aquatic species continued to affect livelihoods and environmental resilience across parts of the basin.
They encouraged journalists to produce investigative reports and other multimedia content to increase public awareness of environmental challenges and ongoing interventions within the basin.
The workshop formed part of activities under the REWarD Project, supported by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by the VBA in collaboration with the Global Water Partnership-West Africa, the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
GNA
Edited by Kenneth Sackey
Reporter: Ernest Nutsugah