Documentation: Water and Climate Justice in Wassa East District of Ghana
With all the ecological resources in the district, living in the district is becoming unbearable each day due to poor water quality, sanitation problems and climate change.
The Wassa East District Assembly (WEDA) was carved out of Wassa Fiase Mpohor district in 1988 to become the home of 99,641 inhabitants living in the district at present day. The vegetation cover is dominated by tropical rainforest with the Pra river basin as the major basin with a plethora of tributaries.
Ghana Environmental Community for Sustainability (GHECO) in partnership with Coalition of NGOs in Water and Sanitation (CONIWAS) and Water Citizens Network embarked on a Water and Climate Justice Campaign in Wassa East District from September 2021 to December 2021. The project which was sponsored by End Water Poverty (EWP), focused on baseline line data on the following;
Access to Quality Water Supply
Ground and Surface Water Quality
Sanitation, Environmental and Safety Risks
Climate-induced risk and adaptation strategies
After six weeks of field work, thirty (30) communities with fifteen on either sides of the Pra river were studied at the documentation phase. Questionnaires were converted into interview schedules for the respondents. Water samples from twelve communities were collected for physicochemical analysis. Only the water sample from Daboase, the district capital, was subjected to bacteriological analysis at the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research- Water Research Institute in Accra.
Key Findings from Documentation
1.Out of the twelve samples analysed, only one (Apetebi stream) was within the acceptable World Health Organisation (WHO) limit at 6.5
2.The lowest pH value of (4.43) at the time of sampling was recorded on pipe-borne water supplied by GWCL at Daboase. Representatives from the the Ghana Water Company Limited argued that, this could be as a result of maintenance works or increased chlorination. The water sample collected at Daboase recorded 0.00cfu/ml on Total Coliforms (TC), Faecal Coliforms (FC), E Coli and Total Heterotrophic Bacteria.
3.It was disclosed (without records from the district health facilities) that people were endangered by typhoid as a result of the water they drink.
4. The average pH of boreholes considered in this study was 5.55. In communities like Baase, Apetebi and Didiso where residents preferred the stream as a drinking water source, the pH of the samples collected were 6.2, 6.5 and 6.2 respectively.
5. Farmers who mostly depend on rainfall have developed their adaptive capacity by augmenting (in small proportion) their farming with other food crops and diverse economic activities.
6.Training on innovative ways and adaption to the changing climate, other areas such as early warning systems, food storage and preservation and loss of farmlands are still inadequate.
Following the presentation of results to the Wassa East District Assembly, a community engagement was held on Tuesday, the 7th of December 2021 to discuss the next steps on campaigning for water and climate justice in the district. The session was attended by the District Chief Executive, Assembly members, Representatives from the Regional CHRAJ office and students in the district.
The stakeholders shared insights on how to improve access to quality water and associated climate-induced hazards. The group agreed on the following;
1. Water from mechanized boreholes needs to be sampled every six months for testing to keep up with the physicochemical properties of the water being accessed.
2. It is recommended that the sample with a pH of 4.43 be limed before consumption.
3. Routine quality control checks on boreholes in the selected communities should consider all the parameters within the study.
4. The study recommends that there should be formalized or structured regulations on indiscriminate waste disposal and open defecation.
5. Settlements along the river banks should be warned ahead of any hazardous convective activity to lessen the effects of flooding along the river banks.
6. The scope of education and training on climate change and climate adaption should be extended to include students and other civil works within the district
The report from the field survey will be discussed at the national level by delegates from CSOs, government agencies and regulatory bodies. The event will be followed with a petition to CHRAJ to ensure people of Wassa East District Claim their Rights to Water.