The Western Regional Chief Manager of the Ghana Urban Water Limited (GUWL), Mr Daniel Moumaalah, has urged Ghanaians to muster the courage to fight negative practices that deplete water bodies to ensure food security for the present and future generations.
He noted that, the gradual depletion of water sources if not checked, had the tendency to plunge the nation into economic crises in future since water was essential to agriculture and food production.
In this regard, he said, the GUWL would supports “any activity, be it economic, social or cultural, which affects the availability of fresh water bodies in Ghana and the world at large”.
Mr Moumaalah, was addressing a durbar at Daboase in the Mpohor Wassa East District to mark this year’s world water day celebration.
The Regional Chief Manager earlier led journalists and students to tour the Daboase water treatment plant where dredging is taking place to contain more volumes of water, to supply the Sekondi-Trakoradi metropolis and its environs.
The Day was observed on the theme “Water and food security” implying that food security is linked with water because without it there would be no food production.
“To ensure food security therefore, we need to rethink how we manage and allocate our water resources among competing uses”, he said.
He, therefore, entreated all individuals, groups, opinion leaders, traditional rulers, district assemblies and the lawmakers to join the public educational drive to protect the water bodies for the present and succeeding generation.
It is important to create the awareness that, issues of water availability are not just at the level of individuals, communities or even nations, but more importantly they are of international concern, Mr Muomaalah indicated.
He noted that there were already signs that had the potential to precipitate crisis in the next few years, if current patterns continue. “The tension between the pursuit for economic ventures and sustenance of our water resources is very disturbing of late”.
He added that the situation was worsened by the low priority given to planning for the maintenance of hydrological and watershed services.
A section of the people at the durbar who spoke to the GNA criticized the GUWL for its inability to supply water adequately to consumers and urged management to address all bottlenecks to ensure continuous water supply.**
Source: GhanaWeb
