‘Ghana has water management problems’

Alhaji Collins Dauda, Minister of Water Resources, Works & Housing, says the provision of sufficient and sustainable water for domestic and industrial purpose is challenging.

The challenges, he mentioned, bother on rapid growth in settlements, growing sophisticated demands by water consumers, increasing environmental degradation, poor water resource management behavior, falling sources of funding and investment. Hon Dauda disclosed this at the opening ceremony of the Israeli water technologies seminar held in Accra recently.

According to him, given Israel’s rich and unique experience in the management of water resource over the years, prioritizing and packaging knowledge and technology would help exploit vast opportunities in the water sector.

The Minister said it was time to look for practical solutions to the problems by ensuring efficient management and massive investment in relevant infrastructure through partnerships.

In that way, water sufficiency and availability, economic growth, poverty reduction and social equity towards national self-sufficiency would be guaranteed, he said.

Israeli Ambassador to Ghana, Sharon Bar-Li, in an address, said Israel was prepared to share its experiences in water management solutions with Ghana.

She called on Ghana’s public sector to team up with private players to partner Israeli water companies to share best practices.

Noting that Ghana and Israel have been working closely on water and sanitation since the 1950s and 60s, she said Israel has the world’s largest reverse osmosis desalination, water safety and recycles water of about 75 percent. She further said Israel boasts of one of the world’s most advanced systems of waste water treat