The Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA) and Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area (GKMA) Sanitation and Water project has been launched in Ghana by the country’s Minister of Sanitation and Water Resources, Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

According to the minister, the project will be carried out in a period of 48 months. It mainly involves the laying of 120 kilometers of new water pipes that will be used to connect 10,000 low-income households to the Ghana Water Company Limited (GWCL) network.

“This represents about 150,000 people living in the project’s beneficiary areas, including Kumasi, Asokwa, Oforikrom, Old Tafo, Suame, Kwadaso, Ejisu, and Asokore-Mampong,” explained Cecilia Abena Dapaah.

The project will also see the construction of 42,000 latrines in the two cities, 12,000 toilets in Greater Accra, and 30,000 in Greater Kumasi. 150 units of sanitary facilities will also be built in schools and health centers.

The authorities of Ghana are also considering the management of wastewater and septic tank sludge, the management and drainage of liquid waste, and investment in sludge treatment plants as part of the project.

Financing for the project

The implementation of the drinking water and sanitation project in the Accra metropolitan region and the Kumasi metropolitan region is being financed by the International Development Association (IDA), a subsidiary of the World Bank group that helps the world’s poorest countries by providing grants and low to zero-interest loans for projects and programs that boost economic growth, reduce poverty, and improve poor people’s lives.

According to IDA, the project will not only improve sanitation and water access in the country but also the coordination between key agencies, and strengthen the capacity and performance of the GWCL and Metropolitan and Municipal Assemblies by reducing Non-Revenue Water, improving wastewater management, addressing issues of pollution, climate change and translating development plans into focused actions.