WATER RESOURCES COMMISSION, GHANA - The … · · 2013-06-18WATER RESOURCES COMMISSION, GHANA ......
Transcript of WATER RESOURCES COMMISSION, GHANA - The … · · 2013-06-18WATER RESOURCES COMMISSION, GHANA ......
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INSTITUTIONAL ASPECTS OF INTEGRATED
WATERSHED MANAGEMENT
PAYMENT FOR WATERSHED SERVICES
18TH KATOOMBA MEETING – FOREST, WATER AND PEOPLE
BEIJING, CHINA
MAY 14-19, 2013
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Initial Institutional Arrangements for
Integrated Watershed Management
• Intention and knowledge of what should exist
• Need for Institutional Reforms
• The 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana –
Provision was made in Article 269 (1) for the establishment
of Natural Resources Commissions such as the Minerals
Commission, Lands Commission, Forestry Commission,
the Environmental Protection Agency, Water Resources
Commission, Public Utilities Regulatory Commission,
Local Government Assemblies among others. None of the
entities has the primary responsibility for watershed
management than the Water Resources Commission.
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Laws on Watershed Management
Laws on watershed management have been passed to
ensure sustainable utilization and management of
water resources as well as the provision of sanitation
services in watersheds and include:
• Beliefs and rules on water use and sanitation that are
well entrenched in the traditional settings in Ghana
• Volta River Development Act 46 of 1961
• PNDCL 256 Fisheries Law of 1991
• 1992 Constitution of the Republic of Ghana
• Local Government Act 462 of 1993
• Ghana Water Company Act 461 of 1993
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Laws on Watershed Management (Continuation)
• Minerals Commission Act 450 of 1993
• Environmental Protection Agency Act 490 of 1994
• Lands Commission Act 483 of 1994
• Water Resources Commission Act 522 of 1996
• Public Utilities Regulation Commission Act 538 of
1997
• National Water Policy of 2007
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ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WATER
RESOURCES COMMISSION
• Act 522 of 1996
• Secretariat of the Water Resources Commission – Head
Office, was set up in 1998
• The Commission is composed of a Chairman who shall not
be a Minister or a Deputy Minister and one person
representing each of the following institutions:
• the Ghana Water Company Limited
• Organizations producing potable water
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ESTABLISHMENT OF THE WATER RESOURCES
COMMISSION (CONTINUATION)
• the Hydrological Services Department of the Ministry
of Water Resources, Works and Housing
• the Volta River Authority
• the Irrigation Development Authority
• the Water Research Institute
• the Ghana Meteorological Agency
• the Environmental Protection Agency
• the Forestry Commission
• the Minerals Commission and
• the Executive Secretary (WRC Act 522, 1996).
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Sources of Funding of the
Water Resources Commission
Funding to support the Water Resources
Commission is derived from the:
• Government of Ghana and from the
• Water Management Account that is generated
mainly through Water Use Permitting and
Drilling Licensing.
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Baseline Studies
With support from DANIDA, the following baseline
studies were carried out from 1998 to 2004, besides
watershed pollution control activities throughout
Ghana:
• Water Resources Management Study of the Coastal,
Southwestern and Volta River Systems of Ghana,
May, 1998
• Water Resources Management Problem
Identification, Analysis and Prioritization Study in
Ghana, June, 2000
• Rapid Environmental Assessment of the Densu
Basin, July, 2001
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Baseline Studies (Continuation)
• Identification of Major Trends in the Socio-economic
Development in the Densu Basin of Relevance for
Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM)
and Compilation of Participatory Methods of
Relevance for IWRM in the Densu Basin, February,
2003
• Groundwater Assessment of the Densu Basin, July,
2003
• Towards Establishment of an IWRM Structure for the
Densu Basin, June, 2004
• Training Needs Assessment of Stakeholders and
Vegetation Cover Survey in the Densu Basin,
October, 2004
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Impact of Baseline Studies
Recommendations from the
baseline studies informed the
selection and setting up of the
Densu Basin management structure
and instituted a good number of the
initial interventions with respect to
the introduction of IWRM in the
Densu Basin.
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PROCEDURE FOR SETTING UP BASIN
MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE
• Carrying out of baseline studies and generation of relevant
technical and administrative documents
• Survey to identify stakeholders
• Stakeholders’ consultative meetings
• Engagement of Basin Officer and Basin Board
• Setting up of Basin Secretariat and acquisition of
accommodation for Basin Officer
• Assumption of Basin Management Activities
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RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BASIN OFFICER
• Carry out the day-to-day management and
administration of the Basin Office
• Serve as the Secretary to the Basin Board
• Oversee the implementation of IWRM Plan of the
Basin
• Ensure effective collaboration with relevant
stakeholders for the management of the Basin
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RESONSIBILITIES OF THE BASIN OFFICER
(CONTINUATION)
• Liaise with the Heads of Departments of Legal and
Monitoring, and Environmental Quality to ensure the
regulation and licensing of water users and
monitoring compliance
• Liaise with Heads of Information and Education
Department in undertaking education and public
awareness activities
• Serve as the focal point for donor related projects in
the Basin.
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RESONSIBILITIES OF THE BASIN OFFICER
(CONTINUATION)
The Basin Officer has to report through:
• Progress Reports (Board Meetings)
• Minutes (Board Meetings)
• Quarterly Reports
• Annual Reports
• Special Reports
Note: There are formats for all these reports.
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FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES OF BASIN
MANAGEMENT IN GHANA
• Timeless
• Employment of the concept of Integrated Water Resources
Management
• Open to sub-catchment Projects; e.g. The Urban Catchment
Management Project which was supported by UN-HABITAT at
the Weija Area of the Densu Basin and PAGEV in
Bolga./Burkina Faso Area of the White Volta Basin with
support by the IUCN
• Open to basin-wide projects and programmes
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DEFINITION OF INTEGRATED WATER
RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (IWRM)
IWRM is a process which promotes the co-
ordinated development and management of
water, land and related resources, in order to
maximize the resultant economic and social
welfare in an equitable manner without
compromising the sustainability of vital
ecosystems
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KEY FACTORS IN IWRM
• Land
• Water
• People
• Interactions among these factors determine
the environmental quality of the RIVER BASIN
and could spell Climate Variability or Climate
Change.
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ACTIVITIES OF THE BASIN BOARD AND
SECRETARIAT
• Quarterly Board Meetings
• Progress Reports are made at all Board Meetings
• Presentations on technical/developmental issues on the Basin are made at most Board Meetings
PURPOSE: To build the capacity of Board Members
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STUDY TOUR OF RIVER BASINS
Must be carried out all over the Basin at the:
• Upstream
• Midstream
• Downstream
to provide a first impression about issues within and
around the Basin and to verify baseline studies. The
follow-up activity to the study tour is the ecological
monitoring.
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FORMATION OF COMMITTEES OF BASIN BOARDS
(e.g. DENSU BASIN BOARD)
• Land Use Management Committee
• Waste Management Committee
• Awareness Creation and Education Committee
• Programme & Budget committee
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AWARENESS CREATION AND EDUCATION
ACTIVITIES
• Generation/Production of educational materials/information
• Radio/TV Programmes
• Community Durbars in collaboration with NGOs/CBO
• Target group negotiations/discussions (e.g. School Health Educational Programme - SHEP)
• Regional Co-ordinating Councils and Local Government Assemblies Awareness Raising/Educational Programmes
• School Visitations/ Sympozia
• Provision of information to various study teams and students writing their theses or on attachment as well as journalists
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LAND USE & WASTE MANAGEMENT ISSUES
• Tackling of sand winning, quarrying, ‘Galamsey’ and fairly large scale mining of gold; e.g. Atewa bauxite mining, flooding, pollution/land degradation, poor waste management technologies, relocation/management of landfill site problems, etc.
• Collaborating with:
-EPA
-Local Government Assemblies
-Public Organizations
-NGOs, FBOs & CBOs
-Concerned Individuals
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LAND USE & WASTE MANAGEMENT
(CONTINUATION - MONITORING)
The following monitoring activities are carried out in
watersheds:
• Moves to stop pollution in some areas of watersheds
(‘hot spots’)
• Monitoring of Water Quality
• Ecological Monitoring
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SOME POSITIVE OUTCOMES – DENSU BASIN
• CBOs, NGOs and concerned individuals growing trees in response to educational programmes and with support from Local Government Assemblies
• Voluntary reporting of issues relating to water resources management by the general public
• Co-operation from politicians
• Readiness of community groups to embark upon water catchment restoration/rehabilitation micro projects
• NGOs CBOs and FBOs seeking resources from development partners to carry out awareness creation, training on water management issues and water catchment restoration activities
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WATERSHED MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES
• Recalcitrance with respect to pollution and
encroachment
• Habits/attitudes of pollution and encroachment of water
catcments with impunity
• Political interference
• Weak law enforcement as a result of lack of adequate
knowledge by security personnel/ compromising/
pursuance of self interests
• Sustaining public awareness and education
• Inadequate capacity by Local Government Assemblies
• Relationships
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Law Enforcement Challenges
Laws on watersheds are not being enforced properly due to:
• Familiarity among the Ghanaian populace that is derived
through family relations, school and work place
colleagues, church membership links, etc.
• Attitudes of people that are not willing to change
• Poor planning, management and maintenance culture
• Poverty and
• Lack of the requisite logistics or equipment for law
enforcement agencies.
Each of these challenges would have to be drastically
dealt with to realize good sanitation in watersheds
countrywide.
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THE WAY FORWARD
• The WRC is working towards setting up River Basin Management Structures all over Ghana
• Intensification and sustainability of awareness creation and education
• Continue with all on-going programmes in watershed management activities and develop/ evolve new strategies
• Promote the establishment of linkages, partnerships and collaboration for the building of synergy for effective development of watersheds in Ghana.
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END NOTE
The River Basin Management Structure is currently being implemented in 4 watersheds
(the Densu, White Volta, Ankobra and Pra Basins) and has just been initiated in 1 other
watershed (the Tano Basin).
The Water Resources Commission hopes to cover the whole of Ghana in the very near
future.
The existence and functioning of the Water Resources Commission and Allied Institutions represent Payment for
Watershed Services.