Ministry develops policy for proper water usage, management

Accra, July 20, GNA - The Ministry of Water Resources, Works and Housing is developing a policy that would ensure proper usage and management of water, Mr. Hackman Owusu-Agyeman said in Accra on Thursday.

The policy, which is being developed together with other stakeholders, would contain building guidelines for roads and building contractors to follow and solve all other water related problems facing the nation.

Mr Owusu-Agyeman said this in a speech read for him at the opening of the tenth biennial Ghana Science Association (GSA) workshop under the theme, "Rainwater Harvesting: A Sustainable Solution to Water Shortage Problems in Ghana".

The workshop was aimed at sensitising stakeholders on the need for the inclusion of rain water harvesting in building regulations and design, challenge scientists and stakeholders to consider rain water harvesting as one of the ways of managing floods and discuss business opportunities in rain water harvesting.

Mr. Owusu-Agyeman said problems of scarcity of availability of portable water, dwindling of resources and water sources being polluted would be solved if scientists become innovative to find ways of harvesting rainwater as another way of solving water shortage in country.

He expressed regret about Ghana being blessed with plenty water -rainwater, surface water and ground water and yet the people were hit with water shortages.

"Neighbouring country like Burkina Faso has no plenty water like we do in Ghana, they have less rainfall and yet we import vegetables from them. It is because they have put in place a system for proper usage and management of the little water they have", he said. Mr Owusu-Agyeman challenged scientists to develop simple and cheap technology for rainwater harvesting and urged them to also link up with policy makers to make their research findings known to them for implementation.

Mr Franklin Amoah, President of GSA called for the need for members to be committed to public engagements to promote and demystify science and technology to increase its acceptability and inclusion in national development agenda.

He encouraged members to crave cooperation of media houses and cultivate the habit of writing feature articles on various scientific issues to help shape the public and government comprehension of crucial issues on science and technology. "By so doing, we will be gradually be boosting the low morale and image of people whose vocation is to promote science and mathematics and make these subjects attractive to some of the finest young brains in our schools". 20 July 06