Mining in water bodies is an existential threat to Ghana and Ghanaians, Sanitation and Water Resources Minister, Lydia Seyram Alhassan declared on Monday.
Alhassan said this during the opening of the five-day annual Mole water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) Conference taking place in Ho, the Volta regional capital, adding that the rate pollution of water bodies in the country is a crisis staring all Ghanaians in the face.
The minister said the crisis Ghana finds itself in is not one for trading accusations but a moment to unite all stakeholders—from government, opposition parties, and civil society organizations, to traditional and religious authorities to look for a perfect solution to the menace of illegal mining and mining in water bodies.
“Each of us has a role to play in addressing this national crisis, which demands a solution, free from partisanship. Posterity will judge us harshly if we fail to act decisively to save our water bodies and forests,” she stated.
She added, “Posterity will only remember us as a generation of people who, out of our edge to pursue our parochial interests, failed to find a common ground to address this existential threat. The opportunity for us to chart a different course is now, and now we must all come together to act for our own collective good.”
The minister pointed out that history would not differentiate between this generation on the basis of what political party one belongs to but judge all together as a generation that failed to find solutions to a common national canker.
Alhassan called for a united front to the fight against illegal mining, adding that, it is important to win that fight in order to create the environment to achieve universal access to safe, sustainable WASH services.
Turning to universal access to WASH services, the minister emphasised the need for innovative financing methods, including public-private partnerships, to bridge current funding gaps in the WASH sector.
“We must consider all opportunities, including international private sector funding, to achieve our ambitious goals,” she urged.
The theme for the Mole XXXV WASH Conference is: “Looking back on SDG 6 implementation in Ghana: Progress, Challenges and the Way forward.”
The minister said the Ghana Presidential Compact on WASH recently signed by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo represents the collective commitment of the WASH sector to achieve universal access to safe and sustainable WASH services.
She added that the compact would help the country to set clear goals and align national priorities with the global SDGs.
In her welcome remarks, chairperson of the coalition of NGOs in water and sanitation (CONIWAS) Beata Awinpoka Akanyani, described the galamsey menace as a danger to the survival of all Ghanaians, urging the government and stakeholders to take decisive actions to deal with it.
The annual Mole WASH Conference is a CSO-led multi-stakeholder platform aimed at reviewing sector performance, influencing policies, removing barriers and promoting access to sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
The Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) is the lead organizer of the conference, supported by member CSOs like WaterAid Ghana, World Vision Ghana, UNICEF, the World Bank, and Global Communities, among others.’