Ghana strengthens ties with B'Faso

The Ghana government has pledged its commitment to ensure the smooth implementation of the principles of Integrated Water Management and trans- boundary cooperation between Ghana and Burkina Faso.

The measure is aimed at strengthening the cooperation between the two countries in the areas of trade, water development and sharing the benefits of good governance.

This was contained in a speech read on behalf of the Upper East Regional Minister, Alhassan Samari at the official opening of the 4th meeting of Ghana-Burkina Faso Joint Technical Committee on Integrated Water Resources Management held here.

The meeting brought together water resource experts and heads of departments of the two nations.

According to him, water and development are intrinsically linked and that the lack of it could potentially become a major constraint to the Ghana's quest to attain her Millennium Development Goals in the year 2015.

"The need for proper management of available water resources to prevent its misuse, it's over exploitation and pollution is therefore a very vital undertaking for which the government of Ghana is leaving no stone unturned," he explained.

Alhassan Samari commended the World Conservation Union and the West Africa Water Partnership for facilitating the upstream-downstream collaboration over the years and their continued support to the Joint Technical Committee and the Integrated Water Resources Management to serve as a platform for information sharing and collaboration on resources of the River Volta.

He thereby impressed upon the participants to take the meeting serious to come out with recommendations that will benefit citizens of both nations.

Minta Aboagye, Chief Director, Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources disclosed that the objective of the meeting is aimed at making recommendations for strengthening the sub-basin institutions between the Nakanbe Water Agency and the White Volta Basin Board to play lead roles in implementing the IWRM.

He added that the meeting targeted at operationalising the Memorandum of Understanding on the formalization of the JTC-IWRM policy frame work which he said was agreed upon at the 3rd meeting of the NTC which was held in Burkina Faso June this year.

It is expected that the meeting at the end will strengthen and contribute to identifying the way forward for the JTC-IWRM.

By Mariam Mandeiya, Bolgatanga

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