The 2019 Budapest Water Summit was held from the 15-17 October 2019 under the auspices of the Hungarian Government led by President János Áder. The theme for the conference was; “Preventing Water Crises”.
The Summit brought together World Leaders, politicians, bankers, businessmen, inventors and scientists to discuss challenges of emerging water crises – issues concerning abundant, scarce and polluted waters – and their social, economic, environmental and political consequences.
Opening the session, moderator Bai-Mass Taal, Former Executive Secretary, African Ministers’ Council on Water, stressed that the water crisis “is already here,” focusing discussions on how to lessen its impact.
Hon. Cecilia Abena Dapaah, Ghana’s Minister for Sanitation and Water Resources in her keynote address at the summit, intimated that the water crisis is real, stressing that the fundamental action needed is to start with local solutions to “fix the basics.”
Jospong’s Participation
Dr Joseph Siaw Agyepong, Executive Chairman of the Jospong Group of Companies, was part of a High-Level panel discussion on the theme for the event. Together with panellists from European Investment Bank (EIB), Middle East Desalination Research Centre, Global Water Partnership (GWP) World Bank Group and the Ministry for Environment and Spatial Planning in Slovenia, they discussed the global Water Crisis and what the Economically Rational Behaviours are!
The Water Crisis facing most countries in our part of the world needs urgent attention from Governments and Individuals. We will continue to do our best to improve Water Management and Waste management but a wholistic approach is required to achieve #SDG6.
Dr. Joseph Siaw Agyepong, shared the view that financing wastewater is considered risky because it requires long-term commitments, and called for innovation and integrated approaches. He reiterated the need to collaborate with the private sector to make this all important resource not just available to everyone on the planet but also safe.
Dr. Agyepong outlined some of the interventions by Government in the Water sector and also highlighted the interventions of the Jospong Group in the Waste Water sector in Ghana such as the setting up of Sewerage Systems Ghana Limited that has expanded the utilization of treated water and its use in restricted agriculture and industry, as well as prevented the pollution of sea water as a strategy to secure a renewable water resource.
Dr. Agyepong further outlined Jospong Groups’ plans to set up the Kumasi Waste Water Treatment Plant with similar ones in Takoradi and Tamale Waste Water Treatment Plants by the year 2020. “ These three (3) Plants are being Constructed simultaneously” he said.
Speaking to the Hungarian press, the Chairman of the Jospong Group who led a delegation of 12 industry specialists expressed his gratitude to the organizers of the Summit for the honour bestowed on him and the Jospong Group to be an integral part of the Summit. He said, “there are several lessons, experiences and solutions to take away. Although the conference has come to an end, the work is to be continued in every corner of the world”.
He encouraged all to visit www.jospongroup.com for more information about the Group and pledged that the Jospong Group will not relent in their efforts to bring long lasting solutions to the people of Ghana in the area of Water and Sanitation and will continue to contribute to attaining SDG6.
