WATER FOR LIFE IN AFRICA: AFRIGEOSS IN WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT EARTH OBSERVATIONS AND WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN GHANA BEN AMPOMAH WATER RESOURCES COMMISSION 13 JAN, 2017. SUNYANI

OVERVIEW OF WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (1) Ghana is well endowed with water resources (mean annual runoff is about 54.4 Bm3 but only 13% consumed. Groundwater is also available. Seasonal & uneven spatial distribution, increasing demands and deteriorating water quality WRM is anchored at national level under a regulatory and management body. Devolving responsibility for WRM to the river basin level - creating co-ordination bodies (7 River Basin Boards). Policy framework well established – e.g. National Water, and Riparian Buffer Zone policies

OVERVIEW OF WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (2) Legal and regulatory enactments on water rights, water well drilling and dam safety adopted and administered Developing Flood Early Warning Systems for flood forecasting, warning and management – completed for White Volta basin 1st stage Decision Support System supporting water allocation and permit granting at the basin level. Developed IWRM Plans for 7 river basins and National IWRM Plan Promoting cooperation in the management of international river basins (Volta River Basin)

DATA AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Established collaboration with data management institutions – hydrology, meteorology, hydrogeology, water quality, Volta Basin Observatory. Established base of a national hydrogeological database and platform for hydromet. data for flood forecasting Water quality systematically monitored Challenges: Data quality and gaps Institutional and human capacities Accessibility and sustained monitoring Complementary data (landuse, ecosystems, socioeconomics)

FOCUS AREAS FOR EO IN WRM (1) Aim is to improve access to water resources knowledge base to facilitate planning and decision making for better mgt: Design and implement Integrated Decision Support model (incorporate climate change/variability dynamics, water availability, distribution, and complex socioeconomic issues) for allocation and conservation of water resources Strengthen water quality monitoring (ambient water quality, ecological and biological) Understand the hydrogeological setting (quantity and quality) nationwide including transboundary aquifers Accurate knowledge on trends of water resource use for measuring social, economic, and environmental performances and sustainability

FOCUS AREAS FOR EO IN WRM (2) Improve capacities on water and water-related data and information services Provide evidence-based data and information to support policy and legislation e.g. Effluent Discharge Regulations Enhance accessibility, cost-efficiency and clarity (innovative cost- effective IT models, communication and dissemination solution) to streamline and improve access to key data sets at the lowest level. Information exchange protocols at the transboundary level