Naa Bettey Nelson
3 November 2009
The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has urged the Bui Hydro Power Authority, the Volta River Authority (VRA) and other related Institutions to execute their operations in a transparent, accountable and equitable manner, in order to win the trust of the people living in the communities where they work.
This will make Ghana a perfect role model for dam developments on the African continent.
Speaking at the just-ended 3rd Ghana Dams Dialogue and Hydropower sustainability assessment forum consultation in Ghana, which was under the theme "Address livelihoods and Institutional challenges for sustainable Dam Development in Ghana"?
Dr. Liqa Raschid Sally, an official of the IWMI said the situation in Ghana, like in many African countries, was not about whether hydro electric dam developments were necessary. She cited from the past dam development experiences in the country that call for general thinking on how to handle future dams.
She pointed out that hydropower is the main source of energy contributing up to 60% Of Ghana's electricity needs. She said Ghana was in the midst of constructing the Bui dam and many other dams like Juali, Pwaluga and Miawunyo, which were all in the pipeline. She stressed that all these were government initiatives and was likely that it would succeed in obtaining financing for these dams, given the conductive political environment.
But with this, Dr. Sally said lending agencies were not obstructed by anti-dam sentiments. She said many changes have taken place since the construction of the Akosombo dam.
The Ghana Dam Dialogue has succeeded in bringing together diverse view points on a single platform with the objective of providing national public policy support for sustainable dam development.
The dialogue in this third phase has far achieved various successes, not only in moving the sustainability agenda forward with one voice, but also in defusing tension, amongst various stakeholders on the platform coming from different perspectives.
Nana Mprah Besemuna III, chief of Krachi Wura noted that dams have made an important and significant contribution to human development and the benefits derived from them have been considerable, which include lack of equality in the distribution of benefits that has called into question the value of many dams in meeting water and energy development needs, when compared with other alternatives.
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