Accra: Head of Strategy, Policy and Campaigns at WaterAid, Ibrahim Musah, has made an urgent call to the government to treat the climate crisis as a water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) issue, pointing to its immense impact on access to safe water and proper sanitation.
According to Ghana Web, during an exclusive interview on JoyNews Desk, Musah elaborated that climate change is creating new and complex challenges within the WASH sector, making it a pressing canker for both the government and local communities. He noted that WaterAid is working closely with the National Development Planning Commission to assist five districts in the Upper East Region in incorporating climate change into their development plans. These include Bongo District, Nabdam District, Kassena Nankana Municipal, and Kassena Nankana West District.
Musah referenced the National Water Policy developed in 2024 by the Ministry of Works, Housing and Water Resources, describing it as a forward-looking framework designed to anticipate and respond to the effects of climate change. He further revealed that efforts are ongoing to finalize Ghana's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), which are expected to strengthen the country's climate resilience strategy.
Communities are already beginning to see the benefits of the Climate WASH Resilience Fund, which supports grassroots adaptation initiatives, according to Musah. He stressed that empowering communities to take part in local planning processes will be essential to ensuring that climate adaptation measures are both effective and sustainable.