The Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) has underscored the urgent need for the government to swiftly halt illegal mining (galamsey) activities that are destroying the country’s water bodies and forest reserves.
CONIWAS also urged a unified action plan involving key stakeholders, including the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, and the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, to restore and protect these vital ecosystems.
This call was contained in a communiqué issued at the close of the recent Mole XXXV WASH Conference held in Ho in the Volta Region.
The Coalition also called on the government, stakeholders, and development partners to adopt more ambitious targets to safeguard water resources and enhance WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) service delivery.
To support these efforts, CONIWAS committed to coordinating advocacy and community engagement initiatives between November 2024 and October 2025.
Funding and Financing Mechanisms
The conference acknowledged the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources (MSWR) for its recent progress in developing and implementing WASH policies, including the Presidential WASH Compact signed in August 2024. However, CONIWAS called on stakeholders to increase funding allocations by the 2026/2027 fiscal year.
The government was urged to maintain its commitment of 0.5% of GDP, while Development Partners (DPs) were encouraged to increase contributions by 50%, and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and NGOs by 100%.
CONIWAS further recommended that the MSWR expedite the establishment of the National Sanitation Authority (NSA) and National Sanitation Fund (NSF) to ensure sustainable and adequate funding for the sector.
The coalition advised that the MSWR coordinate WASH-related funds and financing mechanisms, including public-private partnerships, donor funding, and innovative models. CONIWAS plans to monitor these funding efforts between November 2024 and October 2025.
Climate Change and WASH
Recognizing the impact of climate change on WASH services, CONIWAS pledged to advocate for climate-resilient WASH infrastructure and to collaborate with the MSWR to incorporate WASH concerns into Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) and National Adaptation Plan (NAP).
The coalition will partner with international NGOs, the MSWR, and the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation (MESTI) to build capacity on WASH-climate linkages from March to October 2025.
The communiqué also called for collaboration between MSWR and MESTI to promote a circular economy within the WASH sector, which would focus on converting waste into resources and creating youth employment. Training and initiatives for this circular economy approach are scheduled from January to November 2025.
Strengthening Regulation
The conference highlighted the urgent need to enhance the regulatory environment for WASH services, especially in rural areas. To achieve this, the MSWR, in collaboration with relevant ministries, including the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Local Government, Decentralization, and Rural Development, Ministry of Education, and MESTI, should work closely with MDAs and MMDAs to enforce WASH regulations along the entire value chain. CONIWAS set a target for these regulatory improvements to be in place by November 2025.
Institutional Alignment
More so, the conference called on the MSWR to work with the Office of the Head of Local Government Service (OHLGS) to establish Environmental Health and Sanitation Departments in Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs), with each department headed by a Director.
Through these directives, CONIWAS has made it clear that immediate, coordinated action is essential to achieving sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene services across Ghana, as well as the protection of the nation’s invaluable water resources.
Below is the full communiqué
Source: Isaac Kofi Dzokpo/newsghana.com.gh
