YESTERDAY (March 22) marked World Water Day. The day—an observance created by the United Nations in 1993—is aimed at tackling water crisis.
WATER is a fundamental human need without which human existence will be extremely difficult. It is mostly referred to as a life-saving commodity—thus the catchphrase “water is life.”
FOLLOWING the global observance of the day, UNICEF has warned that one in four of the world’s children will be living in places with extremely limited water resources by 2040. And this, according to a research published by UNICEF to mark the day, would be caused by climate change.
THE report, ‘Thirsting for a Future: Water and Children in a Changing Climate,’ further warns that there will be a great deal of competition for the available water supply, pointing out that the poorest and disadvantaged will be hard-hit.
HERE in Ghana the latest Afrobarometer dispatch on Ghana which examined Ghanaians access to water showed that despite improvement in access to safe water, a significant proportion of the Ghanaian population still lacks adequate supply of potable water. This is despite efforts by successive governments to improve public access to clean water.
TODAY, it is sad to note that Ghana is still struggling to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal Six (SDG 6) which is ensuring availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. Water shortages in this country continue to force communities to queue for hours with many compelled to trek long distances in search of clean water.
THE lack of adequate supply of safe water in this country has been further compounded by galamsey (illegal mining) operatives whose activities continue to pollute our rivers and streams. Today, rivers including Birim, Pra, Akusu, Ankobra among others are constantly being polluted by galamseyers posing serious health risks to Ghanaians.
WE recall in May 2016 a warning by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) that the country will be hit by a severe water crisis by 2025, if steps were not taken to reduce the alarming rate of forest degradation and pollution of water bodies. And juxtaposing that with yesterday’s UNICEF report, it tends to suggest that there is a looming water scarcity within the next two decades.
IT is in the light of the EPA and UNICEF warnings that Today is calling on the government to take urgent steps to safeguard our water bodies and forests from destruction by negative human activities. In fact, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo hit the nail on the head when in his Independence Day address, he averred: “There is nothing we can do better to pay homage to those who fought to free us from bondage than to dedicate this 60th independence anniversary to protecting our environment and regenerating the lands and water bodies.”
YES, all hands must be on deck to support government in ensuring that our water bodies and forests are spared the wanton and continuous destruction. On the occasion of World Water Day, Today also seizes the opportunity to call our leaders to deliver on promises to meet the sustainable development goals, including the goal to ensure access to potable water and sanitation.
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