PRESENTATION ON WATER USE REGULATION

Water resources in Ghana

Water is located in all regions of the country
Water sources vary widely in regional and local

patterns of variability. The supply is dependent upon topography and meteorological conditions. Quantities of water stored are dependant to a large extent on the physical features and geological structure of the earth (Ghana).

Water use regulation

Water resources can be categorised into

-surface -subsurface sources Water resources are very vital to sustainable economic development

Water use regulation

Water use regulation is a mandate bestowed on the

WRC to regularise water rights for existing water users and the granting of water rights of naturally occurring water. Water use regulations and procedures for the issuance of rights to water uses by means of permits was prepared by the Commission and passed by Parliament at the end of 2001 (L.I.1692).

Ghana Water Laws

This is a mixture of customary rules and enactments in

consonance with Article 11 of the 1992 Constitution .

At customary law, water in all its forms including the

sea, rivers and lakes are regarded as public property not subject to individual appropriation.
The state has assumed ownership, management and

control of water through the establishment of a multiinstitutional cum sectoral body.

THE OBJECTIVES OF WATER USE REGULATIONS BY THE WATER RESOURCE COMMISSION.

The objectives are:
Address issues and problems of meeting agreed water

quality standards:
ii. Ensure the flow of collective benefits of water

management in a basin.
iii. Decide on ways of sharing joint costs.
iv. Deal with externalities, for example, the effect of low

volume or low quality drainage water.

Water use Permit

Subject to the Act a person may obtain a permit from the commission for:
Domestic water use

Commercial water use

Municipal water use

Agricultural water use

Power generation water use

Water use Permit

Water transportation water use
Fisheries(aquaculture)water use Environmental water use Recreational water use Under water (wood) harvesting

Application for Permit

Applicants are supposed to file for the application

form with the commission.

The Application may be refused a permit on the

following grounds: -where the applicant fails to pay the appropriate administrative and processing fees. -submits an incomplete application. -submits an application in error.

Investigations
Investigations are conducted to ascertain whether the

proposed water use is in accordance with water use policies and plans.
The investigation also seeks to establish whether the

proposed water use will cause irreparable damage to water resources, public health and the environment.

Priority for water use

The commission shall consider an applicant based on the
The prevailing water policy The domestic water use and Any other use which the goals of national socio-

economic development

water uses exempted from permit but to be registered

The following water uses are exempted from the

permit requirement under regulation :

Water abstracted by mechanical means and used for

any purpose where the abstraction level does not exceed five liters per second
Subsistence agricultural water use for land areas not

exceeding 1 hectare

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
the Environmental Protection Agency considers a

proposed which requires an environmental impact assessment.

the applicant shall attach to the application evidence

that an environmental impact assessment has been approved by Environmental Protection Agency.
the proposed or existing water uses requires an

environmental management plan, that requirement shall be one of the conditions for the grant of water use permit.

GRANT OF PERMIT
Subject to the Regulations, a permit shall be granted based on these Regulations:
The Commission shall within fourteen days

communicate the reasons for the refusal of a permit to the applicant.

Unless otherwise stated, a permit granted by the

Commission shall be subject to ratification by parliament.

PROHIBITION
A person who fails to renew that persons permit, or

whose application for the renewal is rejected by the Commission shall not use the water resources to which the permit relates.