A traditional ruler has called for stakeholders to ensure that traditional rulers and grassroots partners play their critical roles in the fight to preserve and protect the environment.
Togbe Tepre Hodo IV, Paramount Chief of the Anfoega Taditional Area and President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs, made this call on Monday during the opening of the Mole WASH XXXV Conference at the Volta Serene Hotel in Ho, the Volta Regional capital.
He said Ghana is at a critical juncture where the need to protect the environment should be the concern of everyone, due to its critical impact on health and livelihoods.
“This conference opens at a critical time when we need to take a second look at our natural resource exploitation since we can all see how it is destroying our water bodies and threatening the health of all citizens,” the traditional ruler, who chaired the opening ceremony of the 2024 Mole WASH conference, said.
Togbe Hodo IV, lauded the organizers of the conference, urging them to come out with concrete proposals that would help the country to deal with the menace of environmental degradation and water pollution, occasioned by illegal mining, popularly known as galamsey, that threaten the human race.
“I encourage this conference to focus also on the need to get traditional rulers and other grassroots stakeholders involved in these efforts.
That is the only way. Legislation alone cannot do it. Policy Making alone cannot do it. Let’s get down to the grassroots and see how best we can tackle this problem,” the chief urged.
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.’
Public sector institutions such as the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, the World Bank-funded GAMA SWP project, are also part of the organizers.
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