The Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Mr Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, has inaugurated the Boards of the Water Resources Commission (WRC) and the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), charging them to lead bold reforms to protect Ghana's water resources.He also urged the boards to ensure equitable access to safe water, especially in rural and underserved communities.Speaking at the separate inauguration ceremonies in Accra, Mr Adjei described the appointments as a renewal of leadership, vision, and collective responsibility.
He said their roles were critical to Ghana's journey towards achieving Sustainable Development Goal 6.Mr Kenneth Adjei (left) swearing in the CWSA board membersHe emphasised that water was no longer just a consumable utility, but a driver of economic growth, a tool for peace, and a measure of ecological wellbeing.Although Ghana has over 54 billion cubic metres of renewable freshwater annually, Mr Adjei said per capita availability had dropped from 3,000 cubic metres in the 1960s to 1,650 cubic metres today-below the UN water stress threshold."This is not due to a lack of water resources, but our collective failure to manage them with foresight, coordination, and integrity," he mentioned.He identified illegal mining, poor land use, pollution, and climate variability as the main contributors to water stress.More than 60 per cent of river catchments have been degraded, and the storage capacity of reservoirs has declined by up to 30 per cent over the last two decades."In affected regions, rivers such as the Pra, Ankobra, Offin, and Birim have become untreatable due to mercury and arsenic contamination, causing a 60 per cent increase in water treatment costs," he added.To address these issues, Mr Adjei disclosed that two new Legislative Instruments-on Riparian Buffer Zones and Waste Discharge Control-have been submitted to the Attorney-General to help curb pollution and protect water bodies.On the CWSA, the Minister announced a strategic shift from its previous facilitator role to that of a direct rural utility service provider.He further tasked both boards to enhance climate resilience, foster transboundary collaboration within the Volta Basin, and deepen stakeholder engagement.Mr Adjei also called for a lifecycle costing approach to ensure the long-term sustainability and efficiency of water systems.Highlighting performance targets, he said CWSA should reduce non-revenue water to 30 per cent, expand rural water coverage to 75 per cent, and improve revenue collection to 95 per cent by 2028.The newly inaugurated nine-member CWSA board is chaired by Alhaji Mahamadu Attah Nantogmah, with members including Mr Vincent Senam Kuagbenu, Mr Issifu Seidu Kudus Gbeadese, Mr Akwettey Sampson, Ms Alberta Siaw Kwarko, Mr Mark Owusu, Nene Tetteh Wakah III, Mrs Regina Atsutse, and Mr James Monney.For the WRC, 14 board members were sworn in which Daasebre Kwebu Ewusi VII serves as Chairman.
Other members are Mr Joseph Yaw Owusu-Ansah, Mr Abdul Noor Wahab, Mr Christlin Selorm Aradho Saiwor, Mr Kwabena Asare Gyasi-Duku, Prof Mike Yaw Osei-Atweneboana, Okogyeman Kweku Gyamprah III, Mr Seidu Mahama Alidu, Mr James K.
Ashaley, Ms Jewel Esi Kudjawu, Nana Nteboa Pra IV, Mr Charles Bredu Badoo, Nana Amponsah Kwaa IV, and Mrs Valerie Fumey Nassah. STORIES BY CECILIA YADA LAGBA
