1. WATER FOR LIFE IN AFRICA: AFRIGEOSS IN WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT EARTH OBSERVATIONS AND WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN GHANA BEN AMPOMAH WATER RESOURCES COMMISSION 13 JAN, SUNYANI

2. OVERVIEW OF WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (1)
Ghana is well endowed with water resources (mean annual runoff is about 54.4 Bm3 but only 13% consumed. Groundwater is also available.
Seasonal & uneven spatial distribution, increasing demands and deteriorating water quality
WRM is anchored at national level under a regulatory and management body.
Devolving responsibility for WRM to the river basin level - creating co-ordination bodies (7 River Basin Boards).
Policy framework well established – e.g. National Water, and Riparian Buffer Zone policies

3. OVERVIEW OF WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (2)
Legal and regulatory enactments on water rights, water well drilling and dam safety adopted and administered
Developing Flood Early Warning Systems for flood forecasting, warning and management – completed for White Volta basin
1st stage Decision Support System supporting water allocation and permit granting at the basin level.
Developed IWRM Plans for 7 river basins and National IWRM Plan
Promoting cooperation in the management of international river basins (Volta River Basin)

4. DATA AND INFORMATION MANAGEMENT
Established collaboration with data management institutions – hydrology, meteorology, hydrogeology, water quality, Volta Basin Observatory.
Established base of a national hydrogeological database and platform for hydromet. data for flood forecasting
Water quality systematically monitored
Challenges:
Data quality and gaps
Institutional and human capacities
Accessibility and sustained monitoring
Complementary data (landuse, ecosystems, socioeconomics)

5. FOCUS AREAS FOR EO IN WRM (1)
Aim is to improve access to water resources knowledge base to facilitate planning and decision making for better mgt:
Design and implement Integrated Decision Support model (incorporate climate change/variability dynamics, water availability, distribution, and complex socioeconomic issues) for allocation and conservation of water resources
Strengthen water quality monitoring (ambient water quality, ecological and biological)
Understand the hydrogeological setting (quantity and quality) nationwide including transboundary aquifers
Accurate knowledge on trends of water resource use for measuring social, economic, and environmental performances and sustainability

6. FOCUS AREAS FOR EO IN WRM (2)
Improve capacities on water and water-related data and information services
Provide evidence-based data and information to support policy and legislation e.g. Effluent Discharge Regulations
Enhance accessibility, cost-efficiency and clarity (innovative cost- effective IT models, communication and dissemination solution) to streamline and improve access to key data sets at the lowest level.
Information exchange protocols at the transboundary level