School children from the Ayalolo Cluster of Schools in the Greater Accra Region joined stakeholders in the water sector to demand effective water conservation while urging Ghanaians to stop water pollution in all forms.
They communicated their messages to the public as they wielded placards at a durbar in Accra organised by the Ministry of Water Resources Works and Housing and it Agencies to climax the celebration of World Water Day 2016 on Tuesday, March 22.
The Pupils carried placards with the inscriptions: Don't destroy water bodies respect them, treating polluted water is expensive, stop galamsey and get good water, the health of our water is our responsibility, conserve water protect life, save water save life among other edifying messages.
This year's World Water Day was held on the theme, Water and Jobs:“Improved Safe Water Access for Sustainable Livelihoods, World Water Day, an international day to celebrate freshwater was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro.
The United Nations General Assembly responded by designating 22 March 1993 as the first World Water Day. It is a day to celebrate water. It is a day to make a difference for the members of the global population who suffer from water-related issues. It is a day to prepare for how we manage water in the future.
Addressing the durbar, the Minister for Water Resources Works and Housing, Dr Kwaku Agyemang Mensah, said the 2016 theme was focused on how enough quantity of water can change workers lives and livelihood as well as transform societies and economies.
He said the theme “ is a clarion call for us to reflect on the state of our waters and how best to implement and achieve the water and sanitation related Sustainable Development Goals to transform the lives of our people.”
He said the slogan Better Water Better Jobs also aims at inspiring political, community and media attention and action as well as encouraging greater awareness and understanding on the need for Ghanaians to be more responsible towards issues affecting the environment in general and water in particular.
Dr Mensah maintained that “Water is central to human survival, the environment and the economy and decent work can provide income and transform people's lives.”
He said as a “nation we must view Better Water, Better Jobs as a strategic issue, since the way it addressed will affect the successful achievement of the country's medium term and planned long term development agenda.”
He added, “We have gradually set our priorities towards ensuring the protection and provision of clean drinking water and sanitation related services for our increasing population as well as ensuring a sustainable healthy environment.”
He said the national water policy and the water sector strategic development plan among others provide clear actions and measure toward that agenda.
