Are Environmental Agencies Weak?

What would be your answer if I asked for your thoughts on the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency? Is it strong and independent enough to enforce the laws it is mandated to?

Well your answer could be a yes or no.

Maybe the views of a well-known environmental and a natural resources lawyer in Tanzania would help you make a better decision.

According to Dr Rugemeleza Nshala who was speaking to Journalists from Ghana, Tanzania and Uganda during an oil and gas training programme in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania “most of environmental agencies are very weak”

He observed that the environmental agencies, lack the required independence and staff as well as resources to enforce laws.

“They are easy to manipulate and see themselves as governmental bodies required to give effect to government wishes, “ said the man who has written numerous articles on various environmental and natural resources and land issues in Tanzania and beyond. 

“They have country’s mandate yet they are based in capital cities and are unable to reach and monitor petroleum activities in the entire country.”

I guess you are wondering if he made any suggestion on how this could be change. Yes, he sure did.

To change the statue, Dr Nshala urged civil society to get involved  in the enforcement of environmental laws. 

“CSOs must step in to demand accountability and monitor environmental agencies and oil companies activities,” he said and called on Civil society to bring lawsuits against environmental agencies and oil companies for environmental pollution or against any exploitation.

To the man who has immense knowledge on international investment law with expertise in extractive industry in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is time to demand institutional strengthening and independence of environmental agencies to ensure that they assume and perform their tasks as per the laws.

 By Emelia Ennin Abbey 

Journalists Attend Water Financing Workshop In Abidjan

http://www.dailyguideghana.com/?p=87832
A FIVE-DAY workshop on water financing for thirty journalists from 11 West African Countries has opened in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.

The workshop organised by the Global Water Partnership for West Africa in collaboration with the Central and West Africa Programme of the International Union for Conservation of Nature is expected to build the capacity of the journalists and help them understand the financial needs of different activities in water sector.

The workshop themed “ Financing and protection of the resource in West Africa”, would help the participants learn about the conditions of application of economic tools for natural resource management  and also sensitise the media on the economic tools for sustainable management of natural resources, such as payment for environmental services.

Participants would also consider the need to create a multi-stakeholder response to the financial needs of different activities in the water sector, with a view that water resources are used and managed in a fair and sustainable way to reduce poverty, ensure socio-economic development and regional integration and environmental projection.

Speaking at the opening of the workshop, Ndri Koffi, representative of the Global Water Partnership West Africa noted that fact that water was life and that “protecting it is an individual and collective obligation”.

Maxime Somda, Regional Coordinator of Poverty Reduction and Environment Management at the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) stated that there was growing demand on the limited water resources.

He said some of the risk related to water in the West African region include too much rain fall which resulted in floods, frequent droughts, conflicts over water, water borne diseases, exploitation of water for hydropower, irrigation or ecotourism, among others.

Citing the activities of mining companies and industries, he said

“people who pollute water must pay a fine. There are companies who dump waste in water bodies or chemicals they use in their production activities end up in water resources and that deteriorates the quality of water and we sometimes see dead fishes”.

He also pointed out that the challenge of climate change was also threatening water resources quality and quantity in recent times.

Tozan Micheal, Director of the Cote D’Ivoire Ministry of Water Resources and Forestry said his country was developing a national policy to ensure sustainable water management and protection of water resources.

 From Emelia Ennin Abbey, Cote d’Ivoire

 

$300,000 For Novel Water Projects

The African Water Association says it has received a $300,000 from the USAID to fund innovative water projects on the continent.

Young professionals, who will promote ground-breaking projects, intend to reduce water-related problems and address water loses experienced by water companies on the continent.

Sylvian Usher, General Secretary of the African Water Association, made this known in Abidjan at an on-going five-day workshop on Water Financing and Protection of Water Resources in West Africa.

Approved projects will each receive between $2000 and $10,000 and the money would go to the national water company in that country for disbursement to any young person who comes up with such a project.

“The programme is for youth between 18 and 35 years. They must be professionals in the water sector either working with a ministry or water agency in their respective countries. Youth studying in the water sector can also come forward.  Because we do not want the money to go to some individuals, we want them to belong to a national committee that would coordinate the projects, We see a lot of enthusiasm from the youth.”

So far, countries such as Senegal, Mali, Togo among others have established national committees.
He therefore invited countries, which have not set up the national committees to do so, as the programme is aimed at addressing water problems.

“Ghana is yet to submit its youth constitution on the project. And we know that there are a number of promising youth who will come up with very good projects.”

He noted that there are about 900 million people on the African continent, who do not have access to water while 600 million people have potable water.

He said Uganda, Kenya, South Africa and Kenya were the first three countries to set up national committees.

“But we have about eight national committees now, most of them from West Africa and we hope that we will kick off when we have about 10 countries.”

It is hoped that in February 2014 during the African Water Forum slated for Abidjan, the proposals would be approved.

He said out of 55 countries on the continent only 35 are members of the association.
“We want to cover the whole continent and I urge countries which are not members to come on board.”

 

 By Emelia Ennin Abbey

Paying Water Bills Without Recieving Service

Cisse Hamma, is a 60-year-old man who lives at Houphouet Boigny, a community in the Koumassi Municipality of Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, the third largest settlement of the country who has been trying for months to get the local water company to stop sending him bills.

The old man who is a member of the Koumassi Municipal Council, located about five minutes’ drive from the airport and the business centre of Cote D’Ivoire popularly referred to as Plateau, does not understand why he receives monthly bills from SODECI, the company with monopoly over supply of water in the urban parts of the country “even though my tape is always dry.”

Like most residents in the Houphouet Boigny community which was named after the first president of Cote D’Ivoire, who have subscribed to water supply at a fee, Mr Hamma’s tap has been dry over the past six months.

Stand pipes with no water flowing through them is a common site in the densely populated Houphouet Boigny community where residents have to depend on neighbouring communities for water.

“I paid money to SODECI, the water company to be connected to potable water supply system and to help me get easy access to water in my home,” said the unhappy man, “but now I can see that the money was a waste.”

Because water has not been flowing through the tap of the 60-year –old man for the past months he is compelled to give his wife and children money which they intend use to buy water from a distant community.

“I have to buy water,” he said “and yet at the end of the month a receive water bills and then I have to go to the office and pay.”

Depending on the reading of the water meter which has been fixed in front of the house of Mr Hamma by SODECI, he pays a monthly tariff of 2000 CFA and 3000 CFA an equivalent of about $3 and $4.

“The SODECI officers come and read the meter all the time and they bring me a bill which they expect me to pay even though they know they have not provided me with water for some time now,” said the angry man who further states that “when you complain their only excuse is that they have a maintenance problem”.

Mr Hamma explains that the Houphouet Boigny community has not experienced regular water supply since it was connected to the main water system.

Before the taps became dry “the water was only flowing at mid night sometimes and it only flows for a few hours.”

As a result of this, Mr Hamman said residents had no option than to keep watch because there is no schedule or information from SODECI on when water should be expected.

“So we leave our taps on and also keep wake to get a few buckets of water.”

Teilo Serablun, a retiree living in quartier zero cinq another community in the Kuomassi Municipality complained about the high water bills even though there is no regular supply of water.

The man who is also the leader of quartier zero cinq said the residents have no option than pay the high tariffs because “if you do not pay the company will disconnect you from the system and take away the meter.”

He explains that residents want to avoid the instance of being disconnected because of the consequences of paying another huge amount to be reconnected when your meter is taken away.

Kouadio Aboa, first Deputy Mayor of the Kuomassi Municipality confirms that access to potable water is one of the biggest challenges of the over 500,000 residents.

He said most of the communities are not connected to the water system and they have to depend on the other communities which have water even though there is always water shortage.

He explained that the provision of water is in the hands of the government which had entered an agreement with a private water company SODECI to supply the water on its behalf. “The annual 250 million CFA budget support from government is meant for investment project and not for water,” he said.

“It’s a worry to see women getting up early in the morning and walking long hours to get water for the home while children have to miss school hours because of lack of water but we do not have the means,” the man who is only a few months old in office stated.

“We hope more financing would be committed to the provision of water facilities and the supply of water to domestic homes.”   

Gosso Francios Olivier, Director of Production at SODECI, the water company responsible for the supply of water in urban settlements like Kuomassi, said the demand of water is soaring while the facilities which were installed since 1980 but has seen little upgrading does not have the capacity to meet the growing demand.

He said his company has the capacity to produce water for 65 per cent of the entire Abidjan population but it currently able to serve 52 per cent of its subscribers representing about 380,000 households.

Last year, he said the company produces a total of 140 cubic meters of water from its underground water sources.

The water is sourced from 80 meter deep from underground and with the help of pumps and pipes of about 140 millilitres diameter water is propelled into four large opened treatment tanks where chemicals are added as part of the purification process.

After this the water is then filtered and then pumped into similar large tanks which are covered.

Finally, the water goes through testing in a laboratory to ensure it is safe to drink and when the scientist gives it a nod 200 cubic meters of water is pumped every hour though electricity powered structure through a transmission system to the final consumers.

Currently the company produces 19,000 cubic meters of water daily from 90 drilling wells spread across urban centre.

Mr Gosso said an analysis carried out has indicated that there is between four and five billion cubic meters of water underground yet to be taped.

“We have no water resource problem. As a country we have the water bodies and underground water the problems lies with how to mobilise enough funds to put in place the facilities and processes to ensure the people get drinkable water,” said Mr Gosso when he toured journalists around a water treatment plant in Djibi, Abidjan which he said cost 20 billion CFA to put up.