Bolgatanga, July 26, GNA - Mr Boniface Gambila, the Upper East Regional Minister, on Tuesday appealed to district assemblies in the region to adopt buffer zone by-laws that would prohibit farming, mining, logging and other human activities on the banks of streams and rivers. He said the region had embarked on a programme to grow mango trees along the banks of rivers and streams in order to prevent silting and asked the assemblies to monitor activities in and around all other water bodies.

Mr Gambila said this in Bolgatanga when he opened a one-day workshop on water resources management organised by the Water Resources Commission (WRC) for district assemblies in the region.

He said even though water was very important in the lives of every person, not much was being done to protect and maintain its sources. "A visit to the banks of rivers and streams in most parts of this country would generally reveal frightening instances and evidence of neglect and abuse of our water resources, the dying rivers and streams in our various districts are due mainly to our actions and inactions." "The time has therefore come for district assemblies to play significant roles in protecting our streams and rivers to ensure the sustenance of life," he said.

Mr Gambila urged the WRC and its partners to create and maintain enduring relationships with district assemblies, civil society and traditional authorities in their bid to ensure lasting and integrated management of water resources.

Dr Charles A. Biney, the Executive Secretary of WRC, said the Commission was introducing a new water culture so as to conserve and not over exploit water resources in the country.

He said to achieve this; the Commission had planned a three-module approach that involved sensitisation workshops at the regional, district and community levels. It would also involve pupils and students. Mrs Adwoa M. Dako, Public Relations Officer of the WRC said the benefits of managing water in a sustainable manner was numerous and would help provide livelihoods and improve the health of the people. She appealed to the public not to use water bodies as dumping grounds for waste as that only pollutes the water and eventually make it useless.

Ms Adwoa Paintsil, Water Quality Specialist, WRC, explained that the Commission had been mandated to manage and regulate the utilisation of water in a sustainable manner due to the growing demand and competition for the use of water resources and increased exploitation. "There is also an alarming rate of pollution of water bodies and environmental degradation," she said.