Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Ghanaian Times
Published on 2024-04-05 16:11:52
Stakeholders in the water sector are being encouraged to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions to provide sustainable water services, particularly in rural and peri-urban areas in the country. Charles Nimako, the Country Director of Safe Water Network, emphasized the importance of investing in safe water enterprises to complement government efforts in ensuring all Ghanaians have access to clean water by 2030, in alignment with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) six.
At a forum in Accra titled “Beyond The Pipe”, stakeholders gathered to discuss advancing the scale-up of safe water enterprises (SWEs) to deliver safely managed water access in Ghana. The focus was on removing barriers and promoting growth in safe water enterprises as a crucial component of providing safe water services, especially in peri-urban areas and small towns.
Over the past 15 years, safe water enterprises have collectively invested $20 million in the water sector, reaching over two million Ghanaians across all 16 regions with safe, reliable, and affordable water services. To ensure the sustainability of water systems, Safe Water Network is partnering with the National Commission for Technical and Vocational Education Training (C-TVET) to develop a training program for water service professionals in water management systems.
The Deputy Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Amidu Issahaku Chinnia, highlighted the government’s commitment to providing safe water for all rural and urban projects in Ghana. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between private sector water service providers and the government to improve access to safe and potable water, particularly in small towns and rural communities.
Safe Water Network was commended for their investment in extending water services to peri-urban areas and small towns, as well as their advocacy for improved and sustainable water services in Ghana. The government acknowledged the challenges in providing safe water and recognized the innovative solutions implemented by Safe Water Network, such as digital platforms, mobile money, solar power, and water ATMs.
In an effort to promote coordinated investments in the water sector, the Ministry launched the Ghana WASH Sector Development Programme (GWASHSDP) 2021-2030, outlining priority areas and necessary investments to achieve sector targets by 2030. Safe Water Network’s CEO, Chris Williams, mentioned their exploration of ways to mobilize domestic capital to finance new water systems and improve access to safe water in underserved communities in Ghana.
Overall, stakeholders in the water sector are urged to work together to find sustainable solutions and provide equitable access to clean water for all Ghanaians. Through collaboration and innovation, the goal of ensuring safe water services for rural and peri-urban areas can be achieved by 2030.
Read the original article on Ghanaian Times
