• Home
• Photos
• Videos
• Blog
• Partners
• Dam Safety

TRENDING

Speech Delivered by the Chairman of Water Resources Commission, Agyewodin Adu Gyamfi Ampem on the launch of Ripiran Buffer Zone Policy

LAUNCH OF THE RIPARIAN BUFFER ZONE POLICY

CHAIRMAN’S OPENING REMARKS

BY

AGYEWODIN ADU GYAMFI AMPEM

(CHAIRMAN, WATER RESOURCES COMMISSION)

07 May 2014

Hon. Minister For Water Resources, Works and Housing

Heads of Agencies and Departments

Distinguished Invited Guests

Members of the Press

Ladies and Gentlemen

It is a great honour for me that I have been called upon to chair no less a function than the launch of a very important document, the Riparian Buffer Zone Policy, of this country of ours, Ghana.

Ladies and Gentlemen, in the last couple of years, we have not been spared any moment to be reminded of the precarious nature of the environment that we live in as a result of our actions, which are impacting on every sphere of our lives most notably, perhaps, the water resources of the country.

Though technology seems to have come to our aid the fact still remains that water, and I mean good clean water in its natural state, is becoming a rare commodity.

And talking as a traditional leader, the pristine environment that used to preserve the quality of land and water that served as a living symbol of our visionary forefathers has gradually disappeared. Why, because those measures that we as traditional leaders instituted to protect the sources of water and even maintain its quality have all become redundant in the face of modernity.

Having therefore experienced the decline in the effective enforcement of the measures instituted for the management of this vital resource, it stands to reason that today we have a policy that will guide us, as a nation, on the management and use of this vital resource of the country.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I look forward to the launch of this policy document and to the formation of cardinal relationships among the stakeholders involved in its implementation.  That is because at the bottom this policy is not just about proposals on what each stakeholder can do, but also about people feeling that dialogues between them is relevant and that collaborative ways are essential.  And above all that on water we can't go on squabbling about whether or not there is a problem. 

This policy offers another opportunity for us to forge ahead in our quest for the efficient management and utilisation of our water resources for the benefit of all without which life and our very existence will be imperilled.