WASH Stakeholders support expanding WSUP’s successful models to achieve SDG 6
WASH Stakeholders support expanding WSUP's successful models to achieve SDG 6
Stakeholders in the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) sector are advocating for the scaling up of Water & Sanitation for Urban Population’s (WSUP) successful models into wider urban development programmes.
They believe that scaling up WSUP’s successful models into Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies (MMDAs) development programmes will help Ghana to meet the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly SDG 6 on Clean Water and Sanitation.
The WASH sector players made the call during the launch of WSUP’s five (5)-year (2025-2030) Ghana Business Plan held yesterday at the Palms By Eagles hotel in Accra.
The launch of the 5-year plan was marked by deepening partnerships with the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs, and other state agencies to collaborate on improving urban sanitation.
Addressing the gathering, Country Manager of WSUP, Mr. Frank Ketty, explained that the five-year WASH business plan aims to improve urban water and sanitation services in cities by fostering inclusive, climate-resilient systems and financially sustainable services.
According to him, the plan focuses on building capacity for local utilities and service providers, integrating proven models into broader urban development, unlocking finance, and promoting evidence-based service models for equitable access to WASH services.
A Chief Manager at Ghana Water Limited, in charge of the Low-Income Customers Department, Madam Faustina Boachie, delivering her keynote addressing the gathering, reaffirmed the positive impact WSUP’s models have had on her organisation’s growth and other institutions.
According to Madam Boachie, the department she is currently heading was an idea WSUP has supported since its birth, and a few years later, what started as a unit has grown to become a department.
“Though our continuous working with the WSUP Ghana team, the GWL Board and Management approved the upgrade of the unit to a department because they understand the benefits of serving low-income customers and driving transformational change in enabling the provision of safe water services for all, including the vulnerable,” the chief manager of the department said.
This change in status, according to her, indicates that her department’s work over the years has had a positive impact on the general perception of the needs of the sector in Ghana. “There is a better understanding of the social and economic issues around access to water,” she added.
Madam Boachie explained that through her work and the support received from WSUP Ghana, GWL had been able to connect several low-income households to the national grid at subsidised rates and in some cases free of charge.
Key Aspects of the WSUP Ghana 2025-2030 Plan:
Climate-Resilient Systems: Strengthen urban water and sanitation systems to withstand climate change impacts, such as floods and droughts, and contribute to mitigation efforts by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Inclusive Services: Drive efforts to ensure that women, girls, migrants, and low-income communities have equitable access to safe and affordable water and sanitation services.
Financial Sustainability: Focus on making water and sanitation services financially viable by improving utility efficiency, reducing water losses, and unlocking new climate finance and investments for pro-poor services.
Partnerships and Integration: Integrate WSUP’s successful models into wider urban development programmes and work with governments, regulators, and other stakeholders to create supportive policies and collaborate on initiatives like the Roll Out Regulation in Africa (RORA).
Innovative Models: Develop and scale evidence-based service models through research and innovation, such as the Clean Team business for container-based sanitation and other shared sanitation solutions.
