Journalists in Upper West undergo training

About 30 journalists and media practitioners in the Upper West Region have undergone training in Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) with a call on them to take keen interest in water and environmental reporting.

This would help improve the management of water bodies and wetlands for a better future.

Mrs. Adwoa Munkua Darko, Public Relations Officer of the Water Resources Commission (WRC) in a presentation on environmental reportage, said journalists needed scientific knowledge to be able to explain the scientific jargons to the public.

She said journalists and media practitioners also needed to have historical knowledge on water bodies in the country as well as understand current global concerns on water and how they affect society.

“Science has its own language and use some common words differently, hence, the need for journalists to act as translators”, Mrs. Darko said.

Mrs. Bernadette Adjei, the Legal Officer for the WRC, said water resources were owned and managed by the state per the WRC Act, 1996 (Act 522) which comprises two regulations.

The first is the water use regulation which entreats individuals, group of persons or organizations to obtain a permit from the WRC before embarking on activities such as domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural, power generation, water transportation, fisheries and environmental water.

The second is the drilling license and ground water development regulation which governs the drilling of boreholes in the country.

Over 100 companies are currently registered and provided with licenses to operate in the country.

Other regulations yet to come into force include the buffer zone policy and the dam safety regulation.