In Ghana's Savelugu Municipality, securing clean water has become a daily challenge. Thousands of families are struggling to access this basic necessity. Every morning, women and children walk for hours to find water sources. The water they often find is dirty and unsafe for drinking. Abdulai Napari stated people must let the water settle to remove mud before using it.
Fuseini Asana, a mother of six, described her hardship. She spends many hours each day finding water for her family and animals. The water collected requires treatment, like adding alum, to remove dirt. This process is time-consuming and reduces the total water available. Asana added the water is not healthy and clean water is desperately needed.
The community's main water source is a local dam. However, it is shared with livestock like cows and goats. This shared use contaminates the water, making it unsafe for people. Asana mentioned that pipe-borne water would solve this issue. Residents are experiencing this problem as climate change impacts worsen across northern Ghana. Rainfall has become irregular and less predictable. This leads to lower water levels in dams and rivers. Higher temperatures cause water sources to dry up faster.
Mohammed Abdul Mumin, a hydro-geophysicist from Primux Technology, explained soil issues add to water scarcity. He noted the soil in the region does not retain water effectively. Even attempted boreholes sometimes yield no water. This difficulty makes providing underground water expensive and challenging.
The lack of water significantly impacts economic activities. Women who could be farming or trading now spend most of their time collecting water. This reduces their income and affects their families' well-being. Napari highlighted that work stops without sufficient water. Residents are urging the government and organisations for assistance. They want sustainable solutions like pipe-borne water systems. Better dams that can store water long-term are also requested. Asana pointed out the current dam is insufficient and its drying up causes great concern.
The project leading to this report was funded by the CLARE R4I Opportunities Fund. This initiative is a collaboration between JoyNews-CDKN and the University of Ghana's C3SS.