Upper East and Burkina Faso form committee to manage White Volta

Bolgatanga, March 17, GNA - The Upper East Regional Coordinating Council and the Central East Province of Burkina Faso have formed a Trans-Boundary Committee to manage shared Water Resources of the White Volta Basin.

Members of the Trans-Boundary Committee are the Governor of Central East Province of Burkina Faso, Mr. Simeon Sawadogo, Chairman, Mr. Mark Woyongo, Upper East Regional Minister, Vice Chairman, General Secretary is Mr. Hamidu Sawadago, Technical Coordinator, Mr. Aaron Aduna, Jean Marie-Kabere, Treasurer.

Mr. Woyongo said the committee would provide a platform for dialogue between the two countries to share experiences, address common issues and to implement activities on integrated Water management in the basin. He commended the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) for supporting to curb environmental problems including ecosystem, especially its programme on "Improving Water Governance of the White Volta Basin".

He advised farmers cultivating crops along the White Volta basin to desist from acts that would lead to siltation of the river and its tributaries. Mr. Sawadogo said during floods and droughts both countries suffered. The Project Coordinator of the Improving Water Governance of the White Water Basin, Mr. Kwame Odame-Ababio, appealed to communities in the two countries to help conserve the environment especially the White Volta Basin for posterity.

The Committee is to initiate and support local level actions for development, promotion, protection and restoration of water resources with the expectation that stakeholders involved would develop a synergy of dialogue and prudent actions with other water management bodies. It would also initiate and implement a system of compliance with stakeholders to enforce laws and regulations within the two countries as part of measures to fine tune water resources management related problems.