Author(s): Josephine Osei-Kwarteng; Li Qionfang; Amos Tiereyangn Kabo-Bah
Linked Author(s):
Keywords: IWRM; Challenges; Population growth; Environmental pollution; Ghan
Abstract: Ghana is one of the African countries well-endowed with water resources with the total actual renewable water resources estimate of about 53. 2 billion m3 per year. Unfortunately, water resources management is a major challenge for development because of the recurrent floods, droughts and scarcity. This challenge is worsened by rapid population growth, increased urbanization and industrialization, uncontrolled pollution and environmental degradation. The Water Resource Commission (WRC), which is the official body for the management of the country’s water resources, adopted the concept of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) for efficient, sustainable and equitable management. The IWRM paradigm, since its advocacy, has not achieved a very successful implementation in Ghana as well as other developing countries and even in developed countries. There has therefore been a plethora of research on the feasibility of the IWRM concept in the developing world, and in Ghana in particular, and various conclusions have been put across to see the way forward. This paper identifies some of these gaps, proposes ways through which the IWRM concept can be practically harnessed into the traditional water management system of the country and, furthe r comments on the implication of the adoption of these methods. The paper concludes that, IWRM when enforced as a basic objective or prescription rather than an approach in specific water management issues does not achieve better success especially in a developing country like Ghana with limited resources.
Year: 2013