Accra: Stakeholders in the Water, Energy, and Food (WEF) sectors from Ghana and Burkina Faso have met in Accra under the EPIC Africa Project to discuss sustainable governance of the Volta Basin to ensure continued energy generation, food production, and water security for communities that depend on the resource.
According to Ghana News Agency, the EPIC Africa Project is a European Union-funded research initiative focused on developing sustainable WEF pathways to address climate change, food security, and energy access in sub-Saharan Africa. The meeting, dubbed the Second National Stakeholder Workshop on the Water-Energy-Food Nexus, also attracted participants from Kenya, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Belgium. It provided a platform for stakeholders to explore strategies for sustaining the Volta Basin for the benefit of present and future generations.
Representatives from institutions including the Bui Power Authority, National Development Planning Commission, Volta Basin Authority, International Water Management Institute, Water Resources Commission, and partner organizations from Ghana and Burkina Faso attended the workshop. Researchers from Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) in the Netherlands also participated in discussions aimed at strengthening scientific knowledge and collaboration within the consortium.
The three-day workshop was organized by the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR) in collaboration with TU Delft. Dr. Edo Abraham, Coordinator of EPIC Africa Project and Head of the Water Systems Engineering Section at TU Delft, said the workshop sought to enhance engagement with institutions and stakeholders involved in policy-making and long-term infrastructure planning in the water, agriculture, energy, and environmental sectors.
He explained that EPIC Africa adopts an innovative approach to infrastructure planning by allowing citizens to contribute directly to the development of future infrastructure visions. According to him, the project creates a 'transition space' where stakeholders discuss community values and aspirations to inform infrastructure decisions and policy formulation.
Dr. Abraham said the project's case study countries are Ghana, Burkina Faso, and Kenya, with a focus on the Volta and Tana river basins. He noted that discussions centered on issues such as hydropower, wind and solar energy development, irrigation infrastructure, and agricultural production systems that could support sustainable development.
Dr. Yves De Weerdt, Research Coordinator at VITO Nexus in Belgium, emphasized that the discussions align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly those relating to food, water, and energy security. He explained that EPIC Africa combines stakeholder dialogue, infrastructure planning, policy analysis, environmental considerations, and social justice concerns to promote efficient and equitable resource management.
Reverend Professor Eric Ofosu Antwi of UENR and Lead of the EPIC Africa Project at the University, highlighted the critical role of the Volta Basin for Ghana, Burkina Faso, and neighboring countries. He noted the importance of comprehensive long-term national planning based on citizens' needs and aspirations, stressing that the EPIC Africa Project is instrumental in achieving that goal.
Dr. Felix Amankwah Diawuo, Head of the Renewable Energy Engineering Department at UENR, commented on the project's transition spaces, which have facilitated dialogue on the future of water, energy, and food systems over the past four years. He mentioned that workshop participants developed and refined visions for the Volta Basin's future and would share the outcomes with policymakers and governments to support the implementation of African Union Agenda 2063.