Bolgatanga: Mr. Robert Yaovi Dissoussie, the Executive Director of the Volta Basin Authority (VBA), has advocated structured involvement of stakeholders to manage the basin's water and natural resources. He emphasized the importance of stakeholder participation in the decision-making processes, as highlighted in the VBA's founding principles outlined in its Convention and Water Charter.
According to Ghana News Agency, Mr. Dissoussie made this call during a national workshop held in Bolgatanga for the establishment of the National Coordination of Natural Resource Users (NUC-NR) in Ghana. This workshop formed a part of the 'Reversing Ecosystem and Water Degradation in the Volta River basin' (REWarD-Volta River basin) project, which is financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). Officials from various entities including the Water Resources Commission (WRC), Bui Power Authority, and Sub-Basin Committee members participated in the event.
The Volta basin, spanning approximately 400,000 square kilometers, is shared by six countries: Ghana, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Mali, and Togo. It is nourished by major rivers such as the Black and White Volta and the Oti River. The basin encompasses a range of eco-climatic areas from Sahelian regions to humid tropical zones. The REWarD project is supported by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), with the VBA and the Global Water Partnership in West Africa (GWP-WA) acting as executing agencies.
Mr. Dissoussie highlighted that NUC-NRs have already been established in Mali, Benin, Cote d'Ivoire, Burkina Faso, and Togo, with Ghana being the latest addition, thus reinforcing the collective momentum towards inclusive governance. A regional workshop will be organized by the VBA to establish regional representatives of users at the basin level.
Dr. Mawuli Lumor, head of the Policy, Planning, Research, Monitoring, and Evaluation (PPRME) department at the WRC, urged participants to collaborate by sharing knowledge and experiences. He expressed confidence that the workshop's outcome would enhance the governance of natural resources in Ghana and contribute to a coordinated regional approach among the six countries within the Volta basin.
Dr. Lumor remarked on the Volta basin's significance as a crucial resource for communities, supporting agriculture, fisheries, energy production, transportation, and livelihoods. However, he raised concerns about the increasing threats from deforestation, land degradation, pollution, and climate change impacts, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable and inclusive governance of natural resources.
