Water is life, and its importance cannot be denied. From
nutrition to medication, it cuts across several spheres of our
existence. Domestically, the discourse on water protection has been
minimal, but now, more crucial than ever, the discourse on water
protection needs to be increased, for our own safety, and for
posterity.
Ghana's Water Crises
The discharge of sewage into inland and coastal waters,
livestock water pollution, and the washing of laundry in rivers (a
practice more common in rural communities) are but a few of the
many sources of water pollution in Ghana. Of these many sources,
small scale illegal gold mining (galamsey) and plastic
pollution are the major sources of pollution to our water bodies.
Particularly, the mining of alluvial gold by dredging poses deadly
threats to aquatic life and our water bodies, especially rivers. In
some instances, water courses have been redirected solely for the
purpose of illegal mining.
