Ghana: 3 day Capacity Development for Journalists in Climate Change and Water Security held

The Ghana Country Water Partnership (CWP-Ghana), as a way forward to the Media Training which was held in September last year, supported the Ghana WatSan Journalists Network (GWJN) to carry out a three day field activity in order to determine access to water in some areas of Accra.  The exercise was held from 19th to 21st March, 2015.

The purpose for the activity was to ascertain the extent of access to water and sanitation services in some communities in Accra. In all, there were 18 participants in the exercise from, Wash Times, Xinhua News Agency, The Accra Times, Today Newspaper, Daily Guide, Daily Graphic, Weekend Sun, Metro TV, Starr FM, The General Telegraph and Ghanaian Times.

The field work took place in five localities categorized into three Zones; Zone I comprised of Adentan, Madina and Haatso and had 7 journalists divided into two groups covering the communities; Zone II was Shai Osu-doku covered by 4 journalists and Zone III had 7 journalists covering the Teshie area.

The groups embarked on a fact finding mission aimed at gathering relevant information from officials, residents and stakeholders on access to portable water in these communities, the challenges that confront smooth access to water and related sanitation situations. They also looked at how Climate Change impacts on sustainable water delivery in the medium to long term in these communities.