FOUR river basin authorities are to be integrated into the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) regional development strategy for collaboration in resources exploitation to reduce poverty in the sub-region.
The four authorities are the Volta Basin Authority (VBA), the Niger Basin Authority, the Senegambia River Authority and the `Mano River Union Zone.
The Minister of Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Albert Abongo, dropped the hint when he hosted the third Session of Ministerial Council of six countries forming the VBA in Accra yesterday.
The six countries are Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire, Mali, Benin, Burkina Faso and Togo.
Mr Abongo said when the integration was concretised, it would enhance collaboration in the implementation of joint projects, as well as monitoring and evaluation.
He noted that that would go a long way in helping to realise the vision of the leaders and technical experts, which was to reduce poverty in the sub-region, as well as satisfy the aspirations of the communities in the river basin by exploiting the water resources, including fisheries.
He said his ministry viewed the hosting of the session of the Ministerial Council as an opportunity to exhibit the commitment and political will to see to the effective functioning of the newly created VBA.
The session, he said, could also ensure the enhancement of the international co-operation necessary for the rational and sustainable management of the water resources of the Volta River basin.
The Chairman of the Ministerial Council, Mr Laurent Sedgo, who is the Burkinabe Minister of Agriculture, Water and Fisheries Resources, said there was abundant political will which facilitated the formation of the VBA.
He said the basin held a lot of potential to reduce poverty and that opportunity should be seized for sustainable development for the mutual benefit of the countries involved.
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