Emerging pollutants from pharmaceuticals, pesticides, industries and household chemicals are affecting water quality in Africa.
If not addressed the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal six, which focuses on water and sanitation for all and for that matter most of the SDG’s will be a mirage.
In view of this water experts from 42 African countries are attending a three day workshop in Accra on Effective Management of Water Quality. The meeting is also discussing emerging pollutants in water waste water on the continent.
Opening the conference, Ghana’s Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Mrs. Cecilia Dapaah noted that assess to clean water and sanitation impacts a number of the SDG’S and therefore addressing declining water quality is very important.
She made reference to guidelines developed by Ghana for managing drinking water quality. This she said focuses on the management of risk to water pollution along the water supply chain.
Mrs. Dapaah said the campaign against open defecation and indiscriminate dumping of refuse is another way of dealing with the challenge.
The Executive Director of Nigeria’s Water Research Institute, Prof Emmanuel Adanu said for the past ten years emerging pollutants in water have not been detected and effectively dealt with.
Therefore a meeting provides an opportune platform to share experiences and network on how to address the issue. Angela Ortygia from World water Assessment Programme, said through the conference an action plan will be developed on how to deal will the issue.
Story by Joyce Gyekye.
