Eradicating wastewater from agriculture in regions of Ghana

ACCRA, Ghana – Dealing with wastewater is an everyday struggle for the people of Ghana.  With a population of almost 26 million people, about 90 percent of all untreated wastewater is discharged directly into rivers and lakes.  Often, water is collected directly from these rivers and lakes for domestic and daily use.  In a country like Ghana, two separate issues, water and sanitation, are intertwined.  While water is easily accessible and abundant in almost all parts of first world countries, we forget that to this day, there are places in the world where people don’t have access to safe drinking water and adequate sanitation!   

In 2014, the cholera outbreak in Ghana hit a record of 17,000 cases with 150 deaths.  Health officials attributed the epidemic to poor sanitary and hygiene conditions.  Poor sanitation and hygiene are a result of contaminated water.  Clean water is considered a luxury good.  UN records indicate that 783 million people do not have access to clean water and almost 2.5 billion do not have access to adequate sanitation.  In an effort to address this access gap, alternative methods must be considered to deal with the water issue.  Treatment plants have been used in many developed and developing countries to deal with diminishing global freshwater supply. 

Without a doubt, agriculture is the biggest user of water.  Agriculture accounts for over 70 percent of global withdrawals and 86 percent of the world’s total fresh water consumption.  It is estimated that 10 percent of the world’s population is dependent on food produced with untreated wastewater.  Wastewater is defined as water that has been adversely affected in quality by anthropogenic influence.  It is largely made up of human waste, oils and chemicals.  The sources of such water include human excreta (feces and urine), washing water (from domestic sources), rainfall runoffs, storm drains and industrial site drainage.  The composition of unsafe wastewater may differ from one community to another, but all urban wastewater contains a group of organic matter, nutrients, inorganic matter (dissolved minerals), toxic chemicals and pathogens. 

This brings forward the following important question: How can we eradicate the use of unsafe wastewater from agriculture in low and middle income countries, like Ghana?  Realistically the issues are complex, structural and deeply rooted in other issues.  Although we can’t solve this quickly and easily, we need to understand that awareness and a collective effort are crucial to moving closer towards ensuring that all people, regardless of their status, have access to safe, clean drinking water.  After all, water is a basic human right.

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UN Sustainable Development Goal 6: Ensure access to water and sanitation for all

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The International Water Resource Management (IWRM) framework can effectively help to eradicate the use of wastewater from agriculture.  It is based on a collaborative approach whereby community members, coalition of farmers and government representatives promote the coordinated management of water, land and related resources.  To create a functioning system, you must include people.  This structure is exactly that.  Engaged participants and community members will work with government officials to manage the safe treatment and use of wastewater in agriculture.  In time, these widespread practices can be reformed into public policies.  The implications of this will be profound; cholera and water-related illnesses will be diminished if not completely eradicated, one community at a time. 

This project will take into consideration cost, time, education and capacity building.  The participatory capacity development approach, through education and learning sessions, will provide the farmers with adequate training on the treatment technology.  Engineers and professionals will work with farmers to determine exactly what technology will serve the needs of the community and provide them with the resources and capacity to handle the treatment and use of wastewater in agriculture.  This project successfully combines the use of technology funded by public and private partnerships.  The interventions in every community will be varied and the plans and models will reflect the nuances and differences in each community. 

What can the IWRM framework mean for improving health and sanitation? 

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As you sit there, comfortably reading this article, you should ask yourself if water is a privilege or a right.  If water is essential for life, then how can we allow a system that denies people this basic human right.  Projects that focus on improving the water and sanitation situation in communities should be advocated and promoted.  You might ask, is it even possible to make a difference?  Optimistically, I answer yes!  It starts with an interest and an idea, like the IWRM approach.  With persistence, perseverance and determination, we can move closer to meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 6 and ensuring the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all!