He said stakeholders needed to embrace partnerships and cooperation to ensure protection and conservation of water bodies for human survival and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) six by 2030.

Speaking at the commemoration of World Water Day at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Prof Duncan noted that the water crisis remained a global canker which affected millions of people and needed lasting solutions to resolve them.
The celebration on the theme:” Accelerating Change Through Partnerships and Cooperation” was organized by the Department of Water and Sanitation under the School of Physical Science.

It seeks to advocate sustainable solutions to ensure access to clean water and sanitation by all for improved water security across the country and globally.

“By working together, we can achieve our shared goal of secured water for the future generation” Prof Duncan said, adding that the menace of water pollution was because of illegal mining, unfriendly environmental activities among others which posed a serious threat to national peace and security.

Prof Duncan said water pollution significantly impacted health, environment, agriculture, and fisheries economies, which tend to affect livelihoods of citizens and was diminishing growth and development.

He suggested that there should be a multi-stakeholder approach to promote sustainable water management practices, climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

The partnership could lead to the exchange of knowledge, expertise and resources through introduction of recent technologies and innovative approaches to address water pollution in the country.

Additionally, Civil society organizations could mobilize communities and advocate policies to promote public participation in decision-making processes in water management.

The CEO noted that the Government had a responsibility to prioritize water and sanitation issues in its policies and plans to support the achievement of the SDG.

Mr. Bless Darke, a Budget Analyst at the Central Regional Regional Coordinating Council on behalf of Mrs. Justina Marigold Assan, the Regional Minister, said the increasing pollution of water bodies inspired actions to forestall the prevailing global water related challenges.

She called on stakeholders to form a united front against the destruction and pollution of water bodies and push for the production and access to potable water for all.

The Minister said ensuring the sustenance of clean water was a collective responsibility which needed strong inter-sectoral collaboration among all key stakeholders including the Government, security agencies, the Traditional Authority, and the citizenry.

“Water safety ought to be a public responsibility because without water life on earth will extinct” She added.