The current water shortages being experienced in many parts of the country could just be a precursor to a more devastating acute water crisis lurking to hit the country in the near future if nothing is done to salvage the situation.
Increasing human activities, such as illegal mining and deforestation, have contributed to the low levels in surface water bodies, which is mostly processed for domestic use.
Changes in weather patterns and climate change, which accounts for delay in, or reduced, rainfall over the past few years paint a gloomy picture for a country that is fast losing the war on saving its water bodies from constant destruction.
According to a report by the Water Research Institute, with the levels of pollution and reduced rainfall, all river basins will be vulnerable and the whole country will face acute water shortage in the next four years.
According to a Ghana and UNESCO document on Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources in Ghana, it is projected that with the average temperatures showing a rising trend, the impacts of climate change are likely to be more severe in the future.
It indicated further that even though food prices in Ghana will rise in the near future, climate change will make it worse.
For instance, the price of rice is projected to increase by 60% without climate change, but could go up by as much as 121 % due to climate change.
Again, prices of maize are projected to increase by up to 153% in 2050 with climate change, instead of just more that 60% without climate change.
Studies by the Centre for Scientific and Industrial Research-Water Research Institute (CSIR-WRI) indicate a more crisis situation if nothing drastic is done to salvage the situation.
The CSIR- WRI 2000 report on Climate Change and Water Resources estimates a general reduction in annual river flows in Ghana by 15-20% for the year 2020 and 30-40% for the year 2050.
According to the report, by the year 2020, all river basins will be vulnerable and the whole country will face acute water shortage.
Mrs Hannah Owusu-Koranteng, an environmentalist and the Executive Director of WACAM, attributed part of the problem to the situation where the topography of the environment is being disturbed, especially by the activities of both multinational and small-scale mining companies.
She explained that multinationals that mine in mountainous areas and dump their wastes in valleys are major contributors to the water crisis affecting the country.
“You dig up mountains and then dump the waste in valleys, so you disturb the natural flow of water, so during the peak period of rain, there is not enough water stored as ground water. What we are witnessing today is as a result of the many negative effects on the environment”, she said.
She, however, called on government to make environmental issues a priority in giving licenses to companies that come to invest in the country.
In places such as Nsawam, the Ghana Water Company has difficulties getting raw water to process due to the drying up of the water body that supplies the treatment plant there with water.
In other regions across the country, severe drought has led to the drying up of major water bodies that serve many communities.
Industries cannot operate without adequate water in as much as Minister Nkomo himself cannot go to his office when there is no water.
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