News

2024 WWD :Denmark To Support Ghana Construct First-Ever Leakage Detection Training Field

John Awuni March 25, 2024

0 353 2 minutes read

Denmark and Ghana are set to embark on a transformative collaboration aimed at revolutionizing water management and tackling water losses. This was announced at an event to mark this year’s World Water Day at the Denmark Embassy in Accra, under the theme “Water for Peace.”
Speaking on behalf of the Danish Ambassador to Ghana, Tom Nørring, the Deputy Head of Missions at the Embassy of Denmark, Vibeke Sandholm Pedersen, announced that Denmark and Ghana would construct the first-ever leakage detection training field at the Ghana Water Institute in Weija.
She said this training field would serve as a crucial step for Ghana Water in combating their national water losses. She also announced that Arhus Vand is partnering with the Dutch utility sector, which also has a value-added partnership with Ghana Water Limited (GWL) through their WaterWorx programme.
The aim of this collaboration, she noted, is to scale the quality education at the Ghana Water Institute out to the regions. According to her, the partnership intends to deliver tools and capacity essential for improving maintenance within Tema’s distribution networks.
She said it is aimed at ensuring that quality work is not only happening at an academic institute, but also that the same equipment is available in the regions.
Sponsorship underway
She disclosed that, in June this year, the Denmark’s Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) would sponsor two young staff from Ghana Water Company (GWL) to participate in the European Young Water Professionals event in Denmark.
She noted that such platforms and the regular Danida Fellowship Centre courses, offered through the SSC, would go a long way in capacity building of key staff of its SSC partners. She explained that the conference seeks to inspire young professionals and expand their networks all around the world.
She commended the Danish private companies in the water sector for decades of dedication to Ghana and SDG 6.
Sandholm Pedersen reiterated Denmark’s dedication to addressing the critical issues surrounding access to clean and safe water, not only in Ghana but globally. She touched on ongoing efforts, such as the feasibility study with Ghana Water Limited for a drinking water plant in Aveyime, aimed at serving 1.2 million people in the eastern part of Greater Accra, including Tema.
Denmark’s Strategic Sector Cooperation (SSC) on water, initiated in 2019, facilitates knowledge exchange between technical staff from Denmark and Ghana, bolstering the water sector’s reliability and strength.
Sandholm Pedersen emphasised the success of SSC’s Phase I and its expansion in Phase II, notably in reducing non-revenue water levels and improving wastewater management in Tema, through partnerships with Aarhus Vand and the city of Aarhus.
Tangible efforts
For her part, the Chief Manager of the Low-Income Customer Support Department at
Ghana Water Limited (GWL), Faustina Boachie, revealed that over the last five years, GWL had facilitated over 25,000 heavily subsidized water connections, benefiting more than a million people. These achievements, she said, were made possible through the unwavering support of strategic partners and the government.
“In this light, the role of the Danish embassy has been exemplary. The support of the Embassy has been pivotal in our journey towards ensuring equitable water services. Capacity building has been at the heart of our progress,” she emphasised.
She pointed out that nine water user associations had been established in selected low-income high-density populated areas to serve as an interface between Ghana Water and the communities.
She stressed that GWL’s collaboration with Danish consultants on the Aveyime Water Supply project is a beacon of hope for many.