The Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA) is making a passionate appeal to the government not to abandon the water needs of Northern Ghana following the failure of the One Village One Dam (1V1D) initiative under the previous administration.
After millions of Ghana Cedis were pumped to construct dams for irrigation purposes in the northern part of the country, a follow-up research by NORPRA has revealed that the dams are virtually empty and are serving no purpose for the community.
The five northern regions continue to battle the harsh grip of an unforgiving dry season that stretches across nine long months making water more than just a necessity but a lifeline of survival, food security, and economic empowerment.
The failure of the much-touted 1V1d initiative has cast a long shadow of disappointment, at least for farmers who heavily need water for their activities.
Amid this disappointment, Bismark Adongo Ayorogo, Executive Director of the Northern Patriots in Research and Advocacy (NORPRA), is raising a passionate plea that “Dams work in Northern Ghana.”
In an interview with The High Street Journal that the government, policy makers, and NGOs should not misinterpret the failure of the 1V1D to mean dams do not work in northern part of the country.
Per NORPRA’s assessment, the dams failed due to shoddy work and lack of broader consultation. Already they have called on the government to hold all responsible persons accountable for their stewardship.
The Executive Director is calling on government and policymakers to rise above the shortcomings of the past and re-commit to serious, sustainable, and impactful investment in irrigation infrastructure for the North.
“We really need water. We should not say that One Village One Dam, once it failed, means dams don’t work in Northern Ghana,” he said. “We need dams to make a significant investment. When we have water, we will continue to engage in productive activities like dry season farming during the nine-month long dry spell,” he told The High Street Journal.
The botched initiative, introduce with high expectations under the previous administration, was meant to transform agriculture in the North. But the reality on the ground has been disheartening. Many of the dams were either non-functional or poorly constructed, leaving communities in a deeper state of vulnerability.
But the Executive Director of NORPRA is warning against throwing out the baby with the bathwater. He urges leaders to learn from past mistakes and adopt a more community-centered, technically sound, and climate-resilient approach to water infrastructure in the region.
“We should not say that, once the previous administration did not do a good job, it means dams don’t work,” he cautioned.
He believes access to reliable water sources can unlock year-round farming, boost food production, reduce poverty, and stem the tide of youth migration in search of greener pastures.
He says that the North, with all its potential and promise, cannot be left behind simply because of the failures of a broken policy.
