Minorities to suffer in the next world war on water

By Hagar Sey

The Co-Executive Director at Minority Rights Group, Claire Thomas said  the solution to the water crisis is to listen to the minorities voices and learn from them how to live with the environment in harmony. According to her, water crisis is not just about climate change, but rather authorities  making short term and self-interested decisions, often choosing profit over equity , inclusion or sustainability. Madam Claire Thomas said this at an online lunch of a report by the Minority Rights Group (MRG) .  The report titled: Minority and Indigenous Trends Report 2023: People – Process – Planet,’. The report reveals human activities that have led to disruptions in the global water cycle, leading to enormous consequences to millions of people. The 

280 -page  report highlight on the effect of water on minority communities, which it shows bear the brunt of the fallout. It also takes an indebt look at the linkage of the situation to colonialism, which led to the global commercialization and predation of water and exposes how it’s used as a weapon for the marginalization of minority groups. The 280-page report looks at a range of topics affecting minorities globally. It also focuses on the ongoing global water crisis which had become  critical challenges that is  facing humanity, like climate change, biodiversity loss and food insecurity.

The report again explores human rights implications of collapsing water systems. The report contain  three in-depth chapters, 35 case studies detailing the 10 most pressing intersectional aspects of the global water crisis, like access, sanitation, pollution, floods, drought, infrastructure, conflict, usage, governance and culture.

The report again  highlights how systemic discrimination has left many minority and indigenous communities with precarious access to safe drinking water as governments and private water companies fail to invest enough resources in the areas where they live, even when they often face displacement by these water infrastructure projects that do not benefit them. It further highlights that many minority and indigenous populations bear the brunt of water-related disasters, such as floods and drought, while facing exclusion in the emergency relief efforts that follow.

The also touched on the indigenous peoples’ deep spiritual connections to the waters on their traditional lands and their centuries’ long experience of managing water sources render them especially vulnerable when these interlinkages are disrupted. 

The report brings together voices and knowledge systems of over 35 indigenous and minority wisdom keepers at planetary level, for real and effective action against the water crisis. It entails a ‘Pledge’ written by Rajendra Singh, known as the waterman of India, who restored the climate of Rajasthan using the traditional system of jodahs, as well as a piece by world renowned water activist Vandana Shiva. The foreword is written by UN Special rapporteur on Water, Pedro Arrojo-Agudo.

Madam Claire Thomas said the write-ups offer several recommendations for governments, corporations and international organisations such as UN agencies to consider as a matter of urgency to address this issues.

She said noted that the collapse of the hydrological system is imminent unless the world listens to minority and indigenous people as part of efforts to redress the ongoing global water crisis

communities within Lower Manya and Yilo Krobo municipality relief of water challenges

 Story by Hagar Sey

Water they say is life, but lack of potable water has serious health implications on a nation as well as the individual. According to the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals 6, the country is expected to achieve universal goal, equitable access to safe and affordable drinking water by 2030. The Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), which is in charge of the provision of water and sanitation services in rural areas puts access to water at 63 percent. This indicate that majority of people leaving in the rural area have access to improve source of drinking water. The situation is different in some communities in the middle belt area in the Eastern region. Access to save drinking water, sustainability, and equity has become a major challenge in Moano, Obonkorkor, Nsutapon Sukwanya, Dawa Kpesisi, Akohia, Obawale, Abretima, Akusu, Trawa, Abotia, Brepaw Kpeti, Krobo girls SHS, Asesewa SHS, and Asesewa government hospital. An opinion leader of Akusu Saisi community, joseph Ogbordjor, said residents have to walk for half a kilometer to access the Volta Lake as their source of drinking water. He said because the water is not a treated water, they sometime see worms in the water. A situation according Mr. Ogbordjor they have no option but use it for drinking and their domestic chores. He said disease like river blindness and bilharzia was very common in the community. He said the SWASH 3 Project has brought a lot of benefit to the community. Another residents at Akusu Saisi, Vida Teitey said even though they know the lake is contaminated the community members do not have any choice since it the any source of water. She said sickness like river blindness, bilharzia are common disease in the community. The situation was affecting the children’s academic performs in class. They sometime loose interest in coming to school after going to the lake side. Madam Vida said since the bore hole was constructed do not walk far to access water. Even though, there is a water supply from Community Water and Sanitation Agency, it is not enough to meet the demands of the residents and institutions for a day.  Institutions like Krobo girls SHS, Asesewa SHS, and Asesewa government hospital have to rely on tankers and Sacket water when the CWSA fail to supply them water for a longer period.

Byte(headmistress krobo girls)Betty Aduhene Chinbuah said the school rely on a buy water from the Ghana water company limited for supply. She said any time the GWCL supply takes long the school has to reply on sachet water to meet the water demands.  She said the old students bought polo tanks for the school for storage but there is no frequent supply of water.

Through the Water Sanitation and Hygiene project (SWASH 3) executed by Growth Aid with support from Later Days Saint Charities, Moano, Obonkorkor, Nsutapon Sukwanya, Dawa Kpesisi, Akohia, Obawale, Abretima, Akusu, Trawa, Abotia, Brepaw Kpeti, Krobo girls SHS, Asesewa SHS, and Asesewa government hospital, have been relief from the stress of walking for hours to access water.

The Swash project does not only provide water facilities to institutions and communities but also does monitoring and water quality test with the respective assemblies for a period of three years. Some of the students and residents who benefited from the SWASH 3 said they have to walk for more than two hours to search for water but SWASH 3 project has brought the water to their door steps.

The school prefect of Asesewa SHS , Jessica Akuffo a form three student, said the students walk for many hours in search of water from the neighboring town. She said sometimes they come to campus without water or half a bucket. she said most of the have gotten pregnant because of water. She said the support from growth aid and later days saint charities will help address some of these challenges confronting the school.

Sustainable Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (SWAH 3) Project is a sustainable wash project executed by Growth Aid with support by the Later Days Saint Charities. The projected is expected to improved and sustainable water, sanitation and hygiene serves for more that eighteen thousand people living in the rural and deprived communities. The program is to help prevent and manage water related diseases that can easily be prevented in the communities and institutions.  The project is been implemented in 15 communities within the Lower Manya and Yilo Krobo Municipal Assemblies.

Issues of water and sanitation is a shared responsibility we all have a role to play to help the country achieve it SDG 6 target by 2030.