World Water Day: A Call to Action by A Rocha Ghana
Context
March 22 of every year has been designated as World Water Day by the United Nations (UN). It is the annual environmental celebration that focuses its attention on the importance of freshwater and the need to advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.
In commemorating the day, awareness of the 2.2 billion people across the world living without access to safe water is raised. WWD is about taking action to tackle the global water crisis. A core focus of World Water Day is to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6: water and sanitation for all by 2030.
The theme for this year is, ‘Valuing Water’. According to the UN, the value of water is much more than its price – water has enormous and complex value for our households, food, culture, health, education, economics, and the integrity of our natural environment. If we overlook any of these values, we risk mismanaging this finite, irreplaceable resource.
SDG 6 is to ensure water and sanitation for all. Without a comprehensive understanding of water’s true, multidimensional value, we will be unable to safeguard this critical resource for the benefit of everyone.
Does Ghana Value Its Water?
On a day such as this, it is important that we sit and have a sober reflection of how far we have come as a country, in achieving goal six of the SDGs with a few questions resonating at the back of our minds. We must ask ourselves —What values have we placed on our water systems and sources?
Are We Properly Managing Our Water Sources?
If we would answer these questions truthfully, we would realise we have a long way to go in realising our dream of ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water for all Ghanaians now and in the future.
Ghana has no problem with water sources, but potable water sources are diminishing at a fast rate and according to the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the country faces a looming water crisis by 2030 if conditions continue to persist.
Threats to Our Water Sources
When water sources are threatened, the issue of water insecurity is raised. Water security ranks as one of the world’s biggest problems and countries in sub-Saharan Africa are among the most vulnerable.
A survey by UNICEF and the World Health Organisation (WHO) suggests that about 490 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack access to safe water supply, mostly in cities. In Ghana, for example, over 6 million people (20% of the total population) lack access to safe water supply.
It is unfortunate that Ghana’s water sources are continually decreasing in quality and quantity due to several threats including illegal mining, destruction of headwaters encroachment, destruction of vegetation along river banks, pollution from activities such as agricultural waste, urban growth, landscape changes, climate change, and the list is unending.
The most prominent of all these threats over time has been the destruction of forests that house and protect headwaters and are sources of both major and minor rivers in Ghana that together provide water for millions of Ghanaians and livelihoods for many more.
On a day such as this, we share with you five (5) Valuing Water Principles as outlined by the United Nations (UN) High-Level Panel on Water (HLPW). Each principle requiring action towards achieving much-needed inclusivity in the planning and management of our water resources both in production and distribution along the water and sanitation value chain.
1. Recognize and embrace water’s multiple values to different groups and interests in all decisions affecting water. People need to recognize and understand that a body of water means different things to different people. Hence, the value of that body of water differently. Any change, however big or small to a body of water, will affect the values of any and all the people who have an interest in the water body.
2. Reconcile values and build trust – conduct all processes to reconcile values in ways that are equitable, transparent, and inclusive; The different values we place on water can be linked to the different needs or purposes we wish it to fulfill. Everyone values safe water for drinking. Farmers value safe water for growing our food.
Some of us need water for our livelihoods. Many of us value it for spiritual reasons. It is important we find ways to share the benefits of water within our communities and societies in equitable, transparent, and inclusive ways so that the actions of one group do not undermine the values and needs of another group.
3. Protect the sources, including watersheds, rivers, aquifers, associated ecosystems like forests, wetlands, and used water flows for current and future generations; As protectors of many of Ghana’s most critical water sources, our forests must be entirely secured from any further damage. Galamsey in Ghana’s rivers must also be stopped as a matter of absolute urgency. Trees along riverbanks must be replanted.
Farmers can also play their part by using organic farming methods and minimising their dependence on chemicals to reduce pollution of rivers, aquifers, and groundwater while manufacturing companies should ensure safe disposal of all chemicals to stop them infiltrating our water resources. These are just some of the ways we can protect our water sources.
4. Educate to Empower – promote education and awareness among all stakeholders about the intrinsic value of water and its essential role in all aspects of life; Teaching children about the importance of water to life and the different ways we protect or damage people’s access to safe water will help them make responsible water-wise decisions in the future that consider the needs of others as well as their own.
We must also ensure all people, especially those who damage or overexploit water resources, know about the importance of water to life and how their actions affect others and educate them on how they can eliminate the damage and instead benefit their local societies.
5. Invest and innovate – ensure adequate investment in institutions like the Water Resources Commission (WRC), Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), in infrastructure, information, and innovation to realize the many benefits derived from water and reduce risks.
We need to develop new ideas and innovative solutions for equitable water management and use, and these should also draw on and integrate communities’ traditional water management strategies. In talking about traditional water management systems, we laud the efforts and commitment of the Asantehene to work with everyone to secure rivers and water bodies in the Ashanti region.
New infrastructure is also important to link communities to safe water sources, but this can never be sustained unless the headwaters and water sources are first secured. The two must go hand-in hand.
We also all have a role to play in securing safe water for all: we must use clean water wisely and carefully and not wastefully, remembering that so many amongst us do not have access to water. When we use water carefully, it means there is more to go around so that more people can use it too.