76% Of Ghanaian Households Risk Drinking Contaminated Water With Faecal Matter – Prof. Kofi Sarpong Adu -Manu
Report by Ben LARYEA
Professor Kofi Sarpong Adu – Manu, a Senior lecturer at Department of Computer Science, University of Ghana has stated that 76% of Ghanaian households risk drinking contaminated water with faecal matter.
He said Ghana and Africa face severe water and flood management challenges as a result of urbanization and climate change, adding that 411 million people in Africa lack access to safe water, a situation worsened on population growth and poor infrastructure.
According to him, flood risks have increased in recent decades and have increased sharply in recent decades and have one million people with and average of 45,000 Ghanaians impacted annually.
Prof. Kofi Sarpong Adu – Manu was speaking on a topic, From Sensors to Decision: Energy to loT for water Quality and Flood Early warning in Ghana during the maiden edition of the Applied Research Conference organized by Accra Technical University in Accra under the theme, “Advancing Technology and Innovation for a Sustainable Future”.
The 3-day international conference brought together researchers, industry players, policy makers and innovators to share and discuss issues on engineering, sustainable business and applied arts.
“These disasters have worsened due to unplanned urbanization, clogged storm drains floodplain construction and inadequate warning systems, saying climate change intensifies rainfall as sea level threatening coastal and inland areas which undermine the country’s developmental goal.
He therefore called for energy-efficient lot systems as game – changers by deploying inter connected sensors in rivers, reservoirs, treatment plants, a step he said will provide immediate information for proactive decision making in the event of contamination and pollution in water bodies.
“Using sensor, wireless network and AI, government and players in the water sector can address water quality and flooding challenges, to protect communities and create a sustainable model” he added.
For his part, the Ag. Vice – Chancellor of ATU, Prof. Peter Amevi Acakpovi said climate change, urbanization among others be conformed with applied research in the country’s developmental agenda.
Prof. Felix Y.H Kutsanedzie, Acting Pro – Vice Chancellor said the conference will serve as a platform to help address climate change, waste management, depletion of natural resources and calls for a collective effort to tackle from the field of academia.
