Abidjan: The Volta Basin Authority (VBA) has called on media professionals in West Africa to support efforts to address environmental degradation, climate change, and water governance challenges affecting the Volta Basin. The appeal was made at a Regional Capacity Building, Mobilisation and Media Production Workshop for journalists and communication professionals ahead of the 5th Volta Basin Stakeholders Forum in Abidjan.
According to Ghana News Agency, Dr. Dibi Millogo, Deputy Executive Director and Head of Operations of the VBA, emphasized the critical role of journalists in promoting environmental sustainability and mobilizing public support for the protection of water resources and ecosystems. He highlighted that the media can become catalysts for transformations by translating scientific and technical information into accessible and compelling stories that encourage environmental responsibility and community action.
Dr. Millogo detailed the threats faced by the Volta Basin, which supports millions of people across six countries, including climate change, recurrent floods, droughts, ecosystem degradation, population growth, and increasing pressure on natural resources. He stressed that while investments and policy interventions are important, sustainable solutions also depend on public awareness, stakeholder participation, and effective communication.
The workshop aimed to enhance media understanding of water governance, climate change, and ecosystem conservation, while building a regional network of journalists committed to sustainable development issues within the basin. Dr. Rafatou Fofana, Acting Director of the Volta Basin Observatory at the VBA, discussed the increasing demand for water, land degradation, and deteriorating ecosystems, which pose significant challenges to the basin's sustainability. She projected that the basin's population will grow from 35 million in 2025 to 68 million by 2046, intensifying pressure on water resources.
Dr. Fofana identified key governance challenges, including droughts, floods, declining access to safe drinking water, biodiversity loss, food insecurity, inadequate sanitation, and competition over natural resources. She advocated for Integrated Water Resources Management, regional cooperation, inclusive governance, and the ratification of the Volta Basin Water Charter to ensure sustainable and equitable use of shared water resources. Enhanced climate adaptation measures, improved financing, and stronger collaboration among member states were also recommended.
Participants were briefed on an assessment being undertaken under the Reversing Ecosystem and Water Resources Degradation Trends in the Volta River Basin (REWarD) Project, which will generate data to support evidence-based decisions on ecosystem protection and natural resource management. The assessment will map ecosystems, examine socio-economic benefits, analyze threats to biodiversity, and evaluate the impacts of environmental degradation on communities. It will also include a gender analysis of water use and ecosystem services, identifying actions needed to protect and restore critical ecosystems.
Facilitators noted that ecosystem degradation, water pollution, sedimentation, loss of vegetation cover, and invasive aquatic species continue to affect livelihoods and environmental resilience across parts of the basin. Journalists were encouraged to produce investigative reports and multimedia content to increase public awareness of environmental challenges and ongoing interventions within the basin. The workshop was part of activities under the REWarD Project, supported by the Global Environment Facility and implemented by the VBA in collaboration with the Global Water Partnership-West Africa, the United Nations Environment Programme, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature.