Inhabitants of Dominase, a farming and mining community in the Nzema East Municipal Assembly in the Western Region have declared war against open defecation.

They are making frantic effort to stop pollution of river bodies including Ankobra just to ensure community members gain access to potable drinking water.

According to the residents, they became alarmed and devastated with the results of the test that was conducted on the river bodies and hand dug wells within the Ankobra Basin.

This, according to the people, informed their decision to adhere to the things they have been told through the various advocacy and sensitization programmes by Conservation Foundation. There is a need to stop the practice of open defecation in and along the water bodies.

Residents have also vowed to apply proper ways of dumping refuse.They also want to adopt proper measures in using chemicals such as weedicide, DDT, and pesticides for their farming activities.

The people made these commitment when some members of Ghana Water Journalists Network partnered Conservation Foundation, Hope For Future Generations and two local NGOs to undertake validation exercise concerning WASH and IWRM in the project communities.

The exercise seeks to empower residents to value the significance of improved water, sanitation and integrated water resources management.

It was also aimed at creating awareness for community members to ascertain the level of devastation of wetlands as a result of illegal mining activities, defecation in water bodies and excessive use of agro chemicals in farming.

Mr. Rexford Cobbinah, a member of the community who has been trained by Conservation Foundation as a Community Liaison Officer at Dominase indicated that the entire community has been reformed ever since Conservation Foundation started its advocacy and monitoring programmes in the area.

He said activities of the foundation has been supportive and helpful since it's inception.

He therefore encouraged Conservation Foundation and the entire WASH and IWRM team members to continue with their advocacy and monitoring programmes which seeks to safeguard their health.

A member of the validation team who doubles as the Administrator and Accountant for Conservation Foundation, Mr. Alfred Kwabena Gyimah was delighted over the reforms that has taken place in Dominase.

He attributed the reforms to the impact of workshops, training programmes and advocacies organized for members of the project communities.