Kofi Adda speaking with the journalists at the press conference.
World leaders, water experts, development professionals and policy-makers, have shared ideas on ways of reusing fresh water.
Gathered in Stockholm for the World Water Week (WWW) Conference focused on finding ways to better use, and reuse, the growing scarce fresh water, the experts shared ideas on how to make fresh water reusable through global collaborations.
The WWW draws over 3,000 participants from nearly 130 countries, who come to Stockholm for a week, to learn about new research results, share experiences, discuss progress in the implementation of the Global Goals, and together try to find new ways to meet the world’s growing water challenges.
Stockholm International Water Institute’s (SIWI) Executive Director, Torgny Holmgren, addressing the opening plenary session said, “World Water Week is a key meeting place for the water and development community; it is here that we come together and make sure that the very best ideas are brought forward.”
The President of the United Nations General Assembly, Peter Thomson also called the world’s climate and water resources the “fundament of our existence”, and said that “Without proper stewardship of that fundament the 2030 sustainable development agenda obviously goes nowhere. Because without the fundament we can’t exist.”
“Together with the Paris Climate Agreement, implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals represents the best chance our species has to achieve a sustainable way of life on Planet Earth before it is too late”, he added.
Sweden’s Minister for Environment, Karolina Skog said “Sustainable and efficient management of our water and wastewater has a profound effect on all aspects of human life; economic growth, sustainable development, sustainable city planning, circular thinking in industry and in production, energy saving, good quality of our water and, last but not least, it is crucial for health and for a sustainable environment.”
Focus on Ghana
The Minister for Water and Sanitation from Ghana, Mr. Joseph Kofi Adda, addressing a press conference on the side lines of the opening plenary session touted Ghana’s efforts in achieving the water and sanitation targets of the SDG 6 which talks about clean water and sanitation.
He said Ghana until recently did not have a dedicated ministry for water and sanitation and that accounted for the poor performance of the sector, where only 14 percent of population had access to basic sanitation facilities.
He was quick to note however that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) led government has changed the status-quo to give more focus and direction to addressing the development issue.
He said the Ministry of Water resources and Sanitation, establish under a year now will be implementing various plans including best practices from other countries to improve access to safe water and sanitation in the country.
“It will include infrastructure development, law enforcement and attitudinal change in the people to make this work and that is what we are focusing on,” he said answering a question on how the ministry would address sanitation issues in Ghana.
He said together, government commitment which is being exhibited in policy and allocation of resources, private sector contribution and support from the citizens, Ghana can attain its sanitation targets.
From Jamila Akweley Okertchiri, Stockholm, Sweden