IWMI set to improve sustainable dam development in Ghana

THE INTERNATIONAL Water Management Institute (IWMI) has resolved to build capacity and provide tools for improved policy decisions for dam development and related issues that would lead to equitable, transparent and sustainable development of dams in Ghana.

Briefing the media on the project proposal submitted to the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) on the theme -”National Public Policy support for sustainable Dam Development in Ghana”, the project partner Mr. Richard Twum Barimah Koranteng, said the programme was to provide recommendations and practical guidelines for the primary use of the Bui Development Authority, for managing impact on dam affected communities, particularly those related to agricultural livelihoods and food security, through targeted studies.

The National Dialogue on Dams and Development in Ghana, which is supported by the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) completed two phases of the project from April 2006 to march last year According to him, the research findings of the project and guideline recommendations were to share information and increase awareness about resettlement and dam related issues affecting local communities, and to build capacity, amongst key stakeholders of the public, private NGO sectors at different levels from national to local, through roundtables discussions.

He said, this is to bring together representatives of all dam affected communities like Akosombo, Kpong and the Bui area together with other relevant stakeholders to deliberate on problems of the communities and to come up with a common agenda for action, towards the redress of the negative impacts of dams on the affected communities.

Mr. Richard Twum Barimah Koranteng said the project was initiated to help explain the decision and governance processes related to the development and management of multi-purpose water resource projects and to evaluate the contributions of a multi-stakeholders dialogue towards influencing decisions.

The output of the project is proposed to have an institutional study, providing guidelines and recommendations towards a policy framework that would contribute towards improved coordination and a more comprehensive and inclusive decision making.

The activity outlined in the project includes Administration, Management and Monitoring, which would be a function of the Secretariat and would involve preparation of documents for the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) meetings.

The dialogue process have been achieved by creating a sixty (60) member forum and fifteen (15) member National Coordinating Committee to act as sounding board and advisory group for the process.

It also initiated three independent in-depth studies which were conducted in a transparent and participatory manner, drawing inputs from stakeholders through an extensive consultative process.