Fifteen media practitioners from five West African Anglophone countries, who are stakeholders in water and environment issues in the ECOWAS zone, last Friday ended three-day intensive training on Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM) at Errata Hotel in the East of the Ghanaian capital-Accra.

The training was organized and coordinated by the Ecowas Water Resources Coordinating Center (WRCC) with the aim of introducing IWRM principles and practices to journalists and other media personnel and to sensitize them on operational practices of the IWRM in the domain of water resources in West Africa. The theme of the training was: “Contribution of the media for a better management of water resources in West Africa" During the three-day training, journalists and the Ecowas Water Resources Coordinating Center (WRCC) shared experience on Integrated Water Resources Management in West African countries. The two sides renewed their commitments to join hands in the promotion and dissemination of information on the importance and adequate use of water and environmental issues through accurate reporting.

The fact that journalism remains an honourable profession because of its honorable aim, the WRCC officials told media practitioners that their efforts in circulating the information, including news, comments and opinion about the environment, particularly the usage of water is paramount as the  health of a community depends on the environment, conservation of which is the responsibility of all. However, journalists claimed that they could sufficiently inform people on the principles of IWRM if they are given access to adequate information. “You must not see journalists as super human being or all knowing. We rely on you to have information and our work will be slowed down if the circulation of information from you is insufficient,” a journalist from Liberia told the WRCC officials. “Journalists,” he went on “are adequately exposed to IWRM practices in other ECOWAS countries. Journalists will be encouraged to engage in, and improve their reportage on water-related issues,” he concludes.

During a presentation on the trans-boundary river basin organizations in West Africa, Professor Lekan Oyebande, chairman of the Global Water Partnership Technical Committee for West Africa, said the Stockholm Declaration, 1973 and Rio Declaration 1992 on the Trans-boundary Water Resources Management and collaboration among riparian states on the international law principle states that “although every state is sovereign and has the right to exploit its own natural resources, the use of such resources should be in such a manner as not to cause harm to its neighbours or hinder the use of their part of those natural resources”.

However, journalists on Wednesday, demand to send clear messages to the people about the adequate usage of water among Ecowas member states, that there must be one platform where both the Anglophone and Francophone speaking countries will gather to put down strategies.    

Dr. Yaw Opoku-Ankomah, a lecturer at the Ghana University, said Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) was not implemented as at 2003 in The Gambia; as per a report on current status of national efforts to move towards sustainable water management using IWRM Approach. The survey that was conducted, he said provides a snapshot of where countries stand in terms of adapting and reforming their water management systems towards a more sustainable water management practice.

However during the training, it was disclosed that IWRM was yet to make progress in The Gambia, probably due to their lack of data collection from the responsible authorities.