2 months ago
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A seven-year development project to protect the Volta Lake ecosystem from any form of pollution in the three Tongu Ditricts of the Volta Region has been unveiled by environmental group, Eco3 Concept.
Namely, the North, Central and South Tongu Districts, the project also aims to promote good health and safety of the people living in the communities along the lower Volta basin, and also to transform the Volta Lake into tourism attraction site.
The Event Director of Eco3 Concept, Mr Mawufemore Kobla Nornyibey, who made this known at a media launch of Ghana International River Festival 2024 at Sogakope in the South Tongu District of the Volta Region yesterday, said the river festival would be a platform to create awareness about the importance of water bodies in the country and also raise funds for the project.
He indicated that the vision of the organisation was to ensure that the lake became more useful to the country, and develop the Volta Lake as one of the best international tourist destinations in the Africa sub-region.
Mr Nornyibey also stated the threat posed by small scale illegal mining in the country, called for pragmatic efforts to protect the ecosystem, including water resources for the benefit of the present and future generations, saying the River Festival dubbed ‘Riverfest’ which would start from December 27th and end on the 28th of 2024, would also be used to educate people on the importance of fresh water.
He stressed that under the seven-year development plan of his organisation, the Volta Lake would be developed into a world class tourism attraction site and would build an international tourism village to address all the needs of tourists.
Furthermore, Mr Nornyibey outlined that Ghana had a lot of natural resources that could be harnessed to generate more revenue for the country, and create jobs that would enable the youth to stay in their respective communities and work, which would eventually decongest the cities like Accra of the huge unemployed youths.
According to him, the Volta Lake which should have been utilised to the benefit of the country over the years was neglected, saying the project would significantly transform the lake into more attractive tourism site to be far better than those artificial tourism attraction sites of Dubai, since the water body and the natural environment were an added value.
Moreover,he said the development partners of the NGO were prepared to contribute to the development of a world class tourism site, including the development of irrigation schemes to promote all-year farming activities in order to increase the income level of farmers, attract the youth to take up farming as a business and ensure food security.
Mr Nornyibey said river ambulance services would be provided to patrol the lake frequently to provide health and rescue services for the communities and tourists cruising on the lake, adding that when completed the lower Volta basin area would become a tourist attraction site of choice in Africa and the world.
FROM SAMUEL AGBEWODE, SOGAKOPE
