NDPC to host national WASH coordination workshop

The National Development Planning Commission (NDPC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, Hilton Foundation, and IRC Ghana, will hold a two-day National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Coordination Workshop in Akosombo from February 13 to 14, 2024.

The workshop aims to address issues related to insufficient coordination and provide policy responses and effective planning arrangements for achieving national WASH objectives and targets.

A press release from the NDPC stated, “The two-day workshop, on the theme: Effective Sector Coordination for Improved and Sustained WASH Service Delivery will, among others, identify the underlying causes of the current state of WASH Sector coordination, forge agreements among important players and institutions to improve sector-wide and intra-sector coordination, and gather feedback from the session to prepare a WASH Coordination and gather feedback from the session to prepare a WASH Coordination Advice Paper.”

The statement noted that the demand for WASH services continues to rise, with Ghana's population reaching 30.8 per cent and urbanization expected to reach 70 per cent by 2047.

“The WASH requirement to accompany this growth includes an expected improved water source of 99 per cent, household pipe water coverage at 90 per cent and the attainment of 2,262 per m3/capita of internal freshwater resources with daily per capita water consumption of 300 litres. Safe sanitation access is expected to reach 95 per cent. These targets could only be achieved through a robust system and a well-coordinated effort and approach,” it stated.

According to the statement, NDPC has integrated WASH policies and strategies into the national development policy frameworks and further into development planning processes at all levels.

“The integration has been informed by international commitments for WASH such as 2030 Sustainable Development and AU Agenda 2063. NDPC has provided technical support for planning and monitoring; documenting good WASH practices to accelerate the attainment of SDG 6; and preparation of the WASH planning toolkit,” it added.

It noted that the overall objective of those efforts is to address WASH gaps and ensure universal access to drinking WASH services at all levels.

“Based on the wide potential synergies the WASH sector has within and across sectors, there will be a need for informed planning and policy formulation to harness the potential. The NDPC will continue to support the sector to provide proper standards for planning and policy formulation while connecting other sectors that seem neglected to ensure proper coordination to achieve the WASH long-term targets in the Ghana Infrastructure Plan (2047) and as well attain the international commitment targets in the AU Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.

"The overall objective of these efforts is aimed at addressing WASH gaps and ensuring universal access to drinking water services at all levels. Along with filling in WASH gaps, the recommendations from the workshop will support the attainment of the WASH targets in an accelerated manner,” it stated.

It further noted that stakeholders will be drawn from the Ministries Department and Agencies (MDAs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), Private Sector, Corporate Organisations, Philanthropists, Academia and Development Partners.