WaterAid Ghana, a Non-Governmental Organisation at the weekend launched a Water Resource Management and Citizen Engagement (WRM/CE) learning group at the close of a week’s workshop in Bolgatanga.
The focus of the Learning Group (LeG) is to encourage the sharing of knowledge and experiences generated by various organisations and members and to further share common challenges related to citizen engagement, accountability and participation in water resource management. It also seeks to equip members of LeG with current tools, methods, technics and framework for citizen engagement while strengthening their capacity to facilitate dialogues for better Water, and Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) services delivery.
Alhaji SulemanaIssah-Bello, Programme Manager of WaterAid in charge of the Northern Sector addressing participants drown from the three regions of the north said the West African region was characterized by factors comprising the increased dwindling, weak mobilization, low citizenship participation, accountability and unequal distribution of existing water resources.
He said sustainable access to safe water required synergies in managing information through regular experience sharing. Professor David Millar, Member of the Strategic Advisory Committee of WaterAid and the Immediate Pro-Vice Chancellor of the University for Development Studies launching the learning group called on members to see the group as pressure groups to actively influence decisions in water resource management. He bemoaned the recent incidences of illegal mining in parts of the north that affected water bodies, adding that polluted water as a result of mining activities was not healthy for humans and animal consumption.
Prof Millar who is also the Proprietor of the Millar Open University, a private university in Bolgatanga called for a strategic integration of rain water harvesting and its treatment in the national development plan to curtail the shortage of water and beef up the water supply system in most parts of the country.
By: James Amoh Jnr. | A1radioonline.com | Ghana
