Mr Aaron Aduna, White Volta Basin Coordinator in the Upper East Region said inadequate human resource contributed to major challenges in covering the Oti Basin areas and pledged increased activities to oversee the areas this year.

Mr Aduna said this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Bolgatanga on Thursday.

He said human activities around the water bodies had led to increased exploitation that reduced the quality of water and caused siltation to the already water stressed resource.

He commended on- going transboundary stakeholder meetings aimed at ensuring that catchment area rehabilitation programmes were implemented and added that such meetings also enhanced cross border learning and exchange of ideas by staff.

The Oti Basin rises from Burkina Faso and flows through Benin and Togo to join the Volta River in Ghana while the White Volta River Basin which is one of the four main sub-basins of the Volta River system spans Togo and Burkina Faso.

He reiterated that exploitation of the Water Resources and the impact of climate change posed danger to livelihoods and urged District and Municipal Assemblies to adhere to flood risks plans proposed for them by the Water Resources Commission in collaboration with stakeholders with the aim to conserve, and develop the water resources.

He said the flood risks plans were developed through consultative processes with various assemblies in the Region for stakeholders to help in planning and ensuring water management practices in flood prone areas.

 Mr Aduna said even though the plans were with the assemblies, they were yet to be implemented.

  He expressed the hope that the current Government would take the risk maps serious and allocate budget to adequately implement the activities to address the risk of floods.

He mentioned some flood prone areas to include, Sapelliga and Zebilla, in the Bawku West District, some parts of Binduri District, Kayoro, Nyangonia, Pizono and Ketiu areas in the Kassena Nankana Municipal and Nakolo and Pizono in the Kassena Nankana West District.

Others are Yakot, Nakpalig, Guane and Zua communities in the Nabdam District.

He condemned the rate at which some communities were developing structures and living around such flood prone areas especially in the Bolgatanga Municipality and said it called for measures and strategies to be put in place to protect lives and property .

He cautioned the general public to avoid situating buildings  around water ways as they were likely to be affected during heavy rains.

He commended development organisations that are supporting the implementation of the buffer zone projects around water resources in the Basin.

He explained that the creation of the buffers reduced pollution, checked siltation of water resources and prevented floods and disasters.