The Catholic Relief Services, an International NGO operating in the country has initiated a pilot restoration and conservation interventions in the Nawuni sub-catchments, in which four Thousand (4000) tree seedlings are being planted at Dalun in the Kumbungu district and Kuduozayili in the Savelugu Municipality of the Northern Region.
The intervention, initiated this year, by CRS-Ghana and powered by Water funds for Africa, hopes to restore degraded lands along the White Volta’s sub-basin, which is a source of water for Tamale and its environs, but is fast challenged by climate change and human activities particularly sand winning.
In celebrating this year’s World Environment Day, under the theme; “addressing water security through source water protection,” CRS-Ghana in collaboration with the Kumbungu District Assembly and the Water Resource Commission used the occasion to rally the Dalun traditional authorities, community members and other local actors to plant tree species such as Acacia, Neem, Mango and Teak.at vantage locations in the community.
This was followed with a community durbar at Dalun where key actors addressed the gathering on the urgent need to protect the environment from destruction.
According to Richard Ntibrey, who is Project Manager, Urban WASH and Resilience Project at CRS-Ghana, population growth has resulted in challenges of not meeting rising water demands in the context of human pressures and climate change.
“Human activities such as indiscriminate sand and gold mining has degraded the land, hence the sub-basins that feed water supply systems are have become degraded and water supply has been compromised as well,” he stated.
In the context of Tamale water supply, Mr. Ntibrey said there is the need for investments in source water protection through sustainable watershed investment programme within river basins in Ghana.
He said CRS-Ghana and it collaborators hope to establish a water fund to ensure source water protection and management, in line with the National Water Policy that seeks to promote the protection, conservation of water resources using cleaner and efficient technologies, effective waste management and sound land management and agricultural activities.
The analysis on the Tamale Water Fund, for example, indicate that for every One (1) dollar invested, there would be a return on investment of 2.2 dollars in improving the status of watershed in Nawuni.
Mr. Ntibrey said in Goal Three of CRS’ vision, 2030 Strategy, the organization is committed to ensuring all persons achieve dignified and resilient livelihood in flourishing landscape.
The DCE for Kumbugu, Abdul Salam Hamza Fatawu in a message read for him, highlighted the importance of water in any human development. He promised that the government is working to achieving the Sustainable Development Goal six (6) which is WASH related as well as protecting the environment from harm.
Earlier in his address, the Regent of Dalun, Adam Mahama commended the Catholic Relief Service for the initiative to help save the people from challenges of water scarcity. He threw the traditional authorities support behind the initiative by urging the community to actively support in reforesting the area and nurturing the tree seedlings.
Story by Nelson Adanuti Nyadror
