THE CURRENT STATUS OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IWRM IN GHANA

MSC. WATER SUPPLY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION

BARNES JNR, NORMAN (20671735)
SEPTEMBER, 2019

INTRODUCTION: THE IWRM PLAN AND GHANA WATER SECTOR PLANNING

As part of the agreement made by ECOWAS countries on developing Integrated Water
Resources Management (IWRM) through national planning, Ghana followed the formal
international recommendations (WSSD Plan of Implementation), thus implementing the IWRM
Programme in the early 1990s.
The National IWRM Plan shall be seen in the context of the overall development, planning and in
particular the water sector planning in Ghana. Thus, the overarching planning framework is the
“Ghana Shared Growth and Development Agenda” under which sectoral policies and
development plans are elaborated. For the water sector, the next level is the NWP (adopted in
2007). The NWP in Ghana covers both the productive part of the water sector (water supply and
sanitation) and the cross-sectoral water resources management part (IWRM). Therefore, the
Water Sector Strategic Development Plan (WSSDP) being the implementation framework for the
NWP consists of three separate strategic planning components, namely i) The national IWRM
Plan ii) The Urban Water Supply Strategy, and iii) The Rural Water Supply and Sanitation
Strategy. The nature of these plans and strategies are different. Whilst the focus of the IWRM
component is about setting the cross-sectoral legal and institutional management functions at
national and basin level, the water supply and sanitation components include investment of
infrastructural programmes for water development.

POLICY OBJECTIVES OF IWRM

The IWRM Plan, aside its laws, policies and management structure, will thrive on policy driven
objectives. Six (6) policy objectives have been identified and implemented are as follows;
i. Strengthen the regulatory and institutional framework for managing and protecting water
resources for water security and enhancing resilience to climate change.
ii. Enhance public awareness and education in water resource management issues.
iii. Improve access to water resources knowledge base to facilitate water resources planning
and decision making.
iv. Improve transboundary and international cooperation in the management of shared water
resources.
v. Ensure gender equity in water resources management and planning, and
vi. Develop and operationalise a national M&E system to track progress in IWRM
implementation
GOVERNANCE STRUCTURE: LAWS, POLICIES & ORGANOGRAM
Ghana has put in place a good part of the elementary political, legal and institutional frameworks,
which eventually will sustain the implementation of IWRM in the country. Some prominent
programmes and actions already in place include the following: i) the establishment of the Water
Resources Commission by an Act of parliament (Act 522) in 1996, ii) the adoption of 2007 National
Water Policy (NWP), iii) the development of five national river basins IWRM plans and four
corresponding River Basin Boards (RBBs) between 2003 and 2011, and iv) the active involvement
with neighbouring countries on trans-boundary issues on the Volta Basin. In addition, substantial
capacity building has taken place within the key institutions involved in water resources
management over the past 15-20 years.
Within the overall framework of the 1992 Constitution, the policy framework for water resources
management and development in Ghana is anchored on two essential documents: i.e. the WRC
Act 522 of 1996 and the National Water Policy (NWP) of 2007.
The WRC Act clearly defines the WRC as the overall responsible body for water resources
management in Ghana and is specifically mandated to: i) regulate and manage the country’s
water resources; and ii) co-ordinate government policies in relation to them.
Section 12 of the WRC Act 522 and the Ghana Water Policy has mandated the President of
Ghana for and on behalf of the people and that the President, or anyone so authorized by him
may grant rights for water use. Below is an organogram of the Water Resources Management
and corresponding stakeholders.

Figure showing Water Resources Management and Stakeholders

References:
Ministry of Water Resources Works and Housing, 2005. Access to Water supply and Sanitation,
Country Status Overview, Accra.