A 14-million-dollar water project aimed at expanding access to safe drinking water in parts of northern Ghana has been launched to improve water delivery and strengthen investment in the country’s water sector.

The initiative, funded by the Government of Denmark in partnership with UNICEF and jointly implemented by Ghana Water Limited (GWL), seeks to increase water connections for low-income households, improve water efficiency and reduce losses across urban water systems.

The four-year project is titled: “Water Access and Water Efficiency for Low-Income Areas in Ghana,” and has beneficiary communities in the Upper West and Upper East regions including Wa and Bolgatanga, respectively.

More than 105,000 people, including 40,000 children, are expected to benefit through 9,500 new household connections, improved public standpipes and better bulk supply arrangements.

Speaking at the launch in Accra, Denmark’s Ambassador to Ghana, Linulf Janse, said his country had supported Ghana’s water sector for decades through investments in rural and urban water systems and technical partnerships involving Aarhus Water and Ghana Water Limited.

The new project, he emphasised, builds on this longstanding cooperation, and he expressed hope that more partners would join in expanding the intervention.

On his part, the Minister of Works, Housing and Water Resources, Kenneth Gilbert Adjei, stated that the project aligned with national priorities, including the Ghana WASH Sector Development Programme and the government’s Big Push Agenda.

He noted that the intervention would contribute to Ghana’s progress toward Sustainable Development Goal Six, particularly in clean water access, efficiency improvements and loss reduction.

Managing Director of GWL, Adam Mutawakilu, stated that water treatment plants in the Upper East and Upper West regions were operating at 38 and 40 per cent, respectively far below capacity.

He indicated that the project would build on the achievements of the Low-Income Customer Support Unit (LICSU), which had shown that flexible payment plans and community engagement could help vulnerable households transition to safe and piped water.

He added that Denmark’s investment was expected to unlock an additional $7.8 million from the African Development Bank’s Climate Action Window and complement ongoing EU and World Bank programmes supporting sustainable water systems in the north.

UNICEF Representative to Ghana, Osama Makkawi Khogali, said the initiative directly responds to the needs of vulnerable communities affected by water scarcity and climate impacts.

He noted that each new connection “changes a child’s life,” improving health, school attendance and household livelihoods.

UNICEF, he assured, would continue working with government and partners to ensure equitable water access for all children.