Regent of Dalun , Adam Mahama and his subjects planting trees
Catholic Relief Services (CRS), in collaboration with the Kumbungu District Assembly and the traditional authorities of the area, has planted about 4,000 trees at Dalun in the Kumbungu District and Kuduozayele in the Savelugu District of the Northern Region.
The planting of trees along the White Volta, forms part of activities in marking this year’s World Environmental Day Celebration and comes as call on residents by the group to protect the environment.
The Project Manager, Urban WASH and Resilience Project of the Catholic Relief Services (CRS), Richard Agbo Kwabena Ntibrey, disclosed that many of the sub-basins that feed the water supply system are severely degraded and that water supply was compromised by indiscriminate sand and gold mining activities as well as land degradation.
This, he explained, caused sedimentation of the river, with noticeable physical changes in riverbed structure, stressing that not only is the river becoming shallower and wider at main water abstraction points, but that the quality of water has deteriorated markedly, with turbidity being a major issue in the treatment of water for reticulation.
“Managing land uses, particularly in upstream catchments, can improve water quantity and quality for domestic use and for environmental flows. Healthy catchments better regulate the timing, quantity and quality of stream flows, saving on grey infrastructure costs including treatment costs, pumping, dredging and storage costs”, he stated.
Mr. Ntibrey also highlighted the need for investment in source water protection through a sustainable Watershed Investment Program (WIP) within river basins in Ghana.
CRS officials planting trees at Dalun
He said that to ensure a sustainable stream of investment for source water protection and improved catchment management, Water Resources Commission and key stakeholders such CONIWAS, GWCL and the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, with support from CRS, are working to establish a water fund to ensure sustainable stream of funding and financing for watershed investment programs in river basins for source water protection and watershed management.
“This is in line with policy action in the National Water Policy that seeks to promote the protection and conservation of water resources using cleaner and efficient technologies, effective waste management and sound land management and agricultural practices.”
He shared that the Tamale Water Fund interventions within the Nawuni sub-catchment have achieved positive results such as developed gap and context analysis on watershed management in the Nawuni Sub-Catchment.
CRS also supported the development of two counts of feasibility studies within the Nawuni sub-catchment which resulted in understanding the challenges within the watershed.
Mr. Ntibrey assured the people of the Kumbungu and its environs of the commitment of CRS to improving management of the Nawuni Sub-Catchment.
The Regent of Dalun, Adam Mahama, after the tree planting ceremony called on residents to ensure that they protect the trees and other aspects of the natural environment for the betterment of the people of Dalun and its environs.
“The issues of climate change are serious and you can all see [the impact] with the weather conditions these days and so I want to plead with you all to protect the trees planted and others for our own benefit.”
FROM Eric Kombat, Tamale