The Manager in charge of Water Coordination and Partnership at the African Development Bank (AfDB), Jeanne-Astrid Ngako De Foki, has urged the Government of Ghana to navigate the effects of climate change and come up with strategies to fast-track access to potable, affordable and reliable water for Ghanaians.
She challenged Ghana to draw inspiration from the bold decision of its West African neighbour, Benin, which has invested
invested US$2.6 billion to improve water access and affordability by doing the same.
She observed, “This is the only way to bridge the gap between the rural-urban water supply chain to enhance water quality access to the people.”
She made the call while delivering a speech as the Special Guest at the 3rd edition of the Public Utilities Regulatory Commission (PURC) Regulatory Conversation Series in Accra, the capital of Ghana.
The 2024 Regulatory Conversation Series was under the theme: ‘Confronting the Status Quo of Ghana’s Drinking Water Supply: Best Practices in Resilience, Sustainability and Investment’.
According to Joanne Strid Ngako De Foki, Ghana needs a holistic approach to deal with the challenges. She, therefore, urged Ghana to emulate the water supply models of Benin, Argentina, Morocco or Egypt, adding, “If followed could assist Ghana to solve challenges in the water sector.”
She also suggested a Public-Private partnership as key to attracting huge investment into the water sector if Ghana wants to see significant growth and development in the area.
She further called for a fair balance between social and economic systems of water management to ensure efficiency in the water distribution chain.
She also tasked the PURC which regulates the sector to ensure regulatory efficacy to ensure prudent practices in the sector, especially on the tariffs regime if it wants to operate to ensure a fair balance between affordability and profitability.
She further warned Ghana not to take for granted its numerous sources of water to undertake acts that would negatively impact them.
In his opening remarks, the Chairman of the Public Utilities and Regulatory Commission (PURC), Mr Ebo Quagrainie, questioned Ghana’s failure to merge rural and urban water regulation under one body.
He argued that since there are over 1,500 private water suppliers without being regulated, portability and affordability could be a big problem for Ghana, adding that the health problems from unwholesome water could equally be another great factor that should be critically looked at.
“It is worth noting that despite the significant progress in the water sector in Ghana, obstacles persist that impede universal access to safe drinking water. These circumstances have prompted us to question whether, after several years of implementing the aforementioned reforms, it is not time to reassess the situation,” he questioned.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com