Some stakeholders and policy makers in the water sector have appealed to the youth to participate in awareness campaigns on water scarcity occasioned by climate change.
During a panel discussion at a Water and Climate Change Event to mark this year’s World Water Day in Accra on Thursday, the discussants said climate change was exacerbating water shortage and undersupply and cautioned that access to safe drinking water would become more limited if urgent action was not taken.
The stakeholders comprised non-governmental organisations in climate change advocacy, heads of multinational organisations and representatives of government agencies.
The event, organised by the Green Youth Organization (GAYO) and the Youth Climate Council Ghana (YCCG), discussed challenges in working with arid communities in providing access to clean water and improve sanitation and hygiene.
It also explored approaches to help underserved arid communities to become more resilient in the face of a changing climate.
According to the 2022 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Report, about two billion people worldwide do not have access to safe drinking water today and roughly half of the world’s population is experiencing severe water scarcity for at least part of the year.
Ms Margaret Impraim, the Education and Capacity Building Officer for YCCG, said the youth could create awareness about the impact of climate change through the formation of youth groups to engage policymakers at all levels.
‘’Most of the youth groups do not know the procedure to relay their concerns to the authorities. Once every youth wants to make an impact, they need to engage the local assemblies for policies and interventions relating to climate to be made available to them’’
She said the YCCG would engage the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to create a platform for the youth to relay their complaints about climate change and its related issues.
Mr Joshua Amponsem, the Executive Director of GAYO encouraged the youth to form partnerships with a keen interest in developing a community-oriented approach to creating awareness about climate change and water scarcity.
Mr Albert Fiatu, the Executive Director of the Centre for International Maritime Affairs, Ghana (CIMAG) said that the youth could be involved in the climate change campaign through education and advocacy.
‘’Last year, we did not hear about the overflow of the Bagre Dam because the youth groups in Burkina Faso took it upon themselves to put pressure on the government to do something about the situation looking at the challenges they face when it comes to water scarcity and security,” he said.
Mr Amoako Mensah, the Water Supply and Environmental Sanitation Officer for United Nations Children’s Fund, said there was a need to undertake an individual regional risk analysis of the impact of climate change on water scarcity in Ghana.
He said the various regions in the country had their peculiar geographic features, hence a “fit for all approach” would not lead to a great result in assessing climate impact.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, only 0.5 per cent of water on Earth is useable and available freshwater – and climate change is dangerously affecting that supply.
Over the past twenty years, terrestrial water storage – including soil moisture, snow, and ice – has dropped at a rate of 1 cm per year, with major ramifications for water security, the Organisation indicates.
