STATEMENT PRESENTED BY HON. ALBAN S.K.BAGBIN (MP): AT A WORKSHOP UNDER THE THEME: 'GROWING SUSTAINABLY , LIVING SUSTAINABLY'

STATEMENT PRESENTED BY HON. ALBAN S.K. BAGBIN (MP),

MINISTER FOR WATER RESOURCES WORKS AND HOUSING

AT A WORKSHOP UNDER THE THEME: “GROWING SUSTAINABLY, LIVING SUSTAINABLY”

BY THE ASSOCIATION OF GHANA INDUSTRIES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH

 UNILEVER GHANA LIMITED

AT THE ALISA HOTEL ON FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2011

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Chairperson

Hon. Ministers,

Representatives of Development Partners,

Nii Mei, Naa Mei,

Our friends from the Media,

Distinguished Invited Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I thank you all for inviting me to participate in this important Workshop. I must emphasis from the very beginning of this statement that the NDC government sincerely appreciate the sensitivity, passion and commitment of corporate organisations towards priority national issues such as Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and the environment.

As you can see from today’s programme, there are many more people to speak. I would therefore focus my presentation on a few issues. I will briefly talk about our efforts in shoreline protection, and end with some initiatives we have taken in order to adapt to the impact of climate change.

Ghana, like her sister countries of Togo, Benin and Nigeria has been experiencing severe coastal sea erosion problems at various points along her 580 kilometre coastline. About 66 % of our coastline needs urgent protection and Government is making serious efforts to have a hold on this problem. To achieve this, the following projects are ongoing:

1. Atorkor-Dzita-Anyanui project at a cost of thirty five Million United States Dollars (US$35m).This project involves the construction of 2.7km Armour Rock Revetment Coastal Protection Works. Already 1.1 km stretch is completed and 1.8km Coastal Road Construction is also nearly completed.
2. Dixcove coastline work is 70% completed.
3. Sakumono coastal works is scheduled to start before the end of this year
4. Ada Coastal Protection entailing armour rock groynes and beach nourishment at €67m is also on-going.
5. The dredging of Lower Volta River  to desilt and improve on the capacity of the river to contain more water is due to start before the end of the year

Madam Chairperson, Ladies and Gentlemen, government has committed GH¢ 3.55m to flood control projects across the country this year. We have constructed 1.5km of primary drains and the following investments have as well been made:

–     GH¢1.25m for drains at Sakaman

–     GH¢6.6m on the Nima drains

and other drainage/ecological restoration works under consideration include the Prampram, Chemu, Essei and Fosu Ecological Restoration Projects

In line with the theme:  “Growing Sustainably, Living Sustainably” some initiatives carried out by some of the sector agencies under my ministry in the area of climate change and the need to adapt as a developing country are also worth noting.  We have made considerable efforts to pilot Climate Change Adaptation initiative towards promoting adaptive and coping strategies for water resources use and management to reduce livelihood vulnerability in the three northern regions, where the impacts are felt most. Interventions accomplished in this respect include the development of:

-        Climate safe and minimum evaporative community own dug-outs and wells

-        Community nurseries towards tree planting around water storage facilities; Designed appropriate non-traditional water harvesting, climate safe subsurface water storage facilities/reservoirs in order to minimize the impact of flood waters, and

-        Water conservation, flood risk reduction and Irrigation strategy for Northern Ghana.

Madam Chairperson, We could not have achieved all I have mentioned without the support of the Development Partners and your Association. I must commend the efforts of our Development Partners for always giving us a shoulder to lean on.

I would like to end by praising the laudable initiative of the AGI and Unilever Ghana Limited for adding to the government’s effort in taking deliberate and pragmatic action in preventing the complete collapse of the sustainable nature of the environment.

Thank you.