The Minister for Water Resources, Works and Housing, Mr Enoch  Teye Mensah, has assured Ghanaians that government will keep with its obligation and ensure that policies on water and food security meet the needs of the citizenry.

According to him  "as an agrarian based economy, Ghana has no option than to raise the profile of water and food security to the highest level and take action to save and ensure food for all."

The Minister made this known yesterday in Parliament in a statement to commemorate this year’s World Water Day.

The international World Water Day is held annually on 22 March as a means of focusing attention on the importance of freshwater and advocating for the sustainable management of freshwater resources.

The day was recommended at the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).

Mr Mensah stressed the need to promote soil and water management to minimise land degradation and water pollution with the view to increasing total food supply-chain efficiency.

He said government's interventions targeted towards water and food security include employing water saving and storage technologies and practices in rainfed and irrigated areas, safe re-use of waste water in agriculture as well as intensifying the cultivation of traditional and new water-stress tolerant plant varieties.

The Minister said the theme for this year celebrations "water and food security: call for solutions." is intended to draw the worlds attention to the relationship between water and food security

He  said the Day focuses on the main effects of climate change on water resources, water scarcity, protecting the interest of the poor to access water and closing the gender gap that limits yields in agriculture.

In a contribution to the statement, Member of Parliament (MP) for New Juaben, Hackman Owusu Agyemang, expressed concern over the wanton destruction of water bodies   by depositing solid and liquid waste into drains, rivers and streams, citing the Odaw River in Accra as evidence.

He observed that successive governments have over the years been diligent in ensuring that portable water agenda is pursued and appeal to the citizenry to appreciate the importance of water by protecting water bodies.

MP for South Dayi, Simon Asiamah, in his contribution stressed the need for new ideas and policies on how to conserve the soil and water bodies.

He also called on stakeholders in the sector to put in place pragmatic measures to conserve water and protect water bodies in the country.

Others who contributed to the statement also called for more investment into the sector to ensure save and clean water for all.

This year World Water Day celebration in Ghana will be climax with a durbar at Asutuare in the Dangbe West District of the Greater Accra Region and crowned with the hoisting of the United Nations (UN) and Ghana flags.