ODF2030-Sustainable sanitation for Volta Region, Ghana

ODF2030 - Sustainable Sanitation for Volta Region, Ghana has continued to raise well-started sanitation awareness towards achieving the sanitation goals performed in previous ODF2030 -Sustainable sanitation fo Ho Municipality, Ghana. Duration of the project is 4 years; 2023 - 2026. The project continues to support the local government and institutions of the municipality of Ho, but also extends the activities to the Volta region.

The objectives of the project have been aligned with national and regional development strategies and the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Currently, 32% of households in the Volta area have a toilet, but open defecation is still common. This poses a significant risk to the health of the inhabitants and for the environment.

The project supports ECOSAN campaigns hosted by local governments in urban and rural areas. ECOSAN solutions improve hygiene and health, increase food security and reduce poverty through the use of organic fertilizers, as well as improve the state of the environment and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The project's measures focus on all four priority areas of Finland's development policy. Women and girls are the main target groups of the project.

Capacity building among local partners include training, regional stakeholder dialogue, pilots, peer reviews and performance evaluations. The training increases the capacity of builders and the number of household toilets. As a result of the ECOSAN campaigns, private sanitation investments will be increased and 18 new villages will have Open Defecation Free (ODF) status, producing and utilizing organic fertilizers. The project Also agroforestry is piloted in the project.

The direct beneficiaries of the ODF2030 project are the Ho Municipal Assembly, Ho Technical University and NGO VolCare Foundation, which are also supported in regional networking. Other direct beneficiaries are communities and urban areas participating in ECOSAN campaigns. The local partners in Ho are committed to promote ECOSAN solutions already piloted in schools and rural households.

Project partners in Finland are Global Dry Toilet Association of Finland which has expertise in dry toilet technologies as well as public awareness and community mobilization campaigns and Jamk Institute of Bioeconomy which provides expertise in natural nutrient cycles, sustainable agriculture and water protection. The partners in Finland have long-term expertise and experience in carrying out development cooperation projects in African countries.

More information: Tuija Manerus, [email protected]