Every day, millions of tonnes of municipal solid garbage are produced across the world. The problem of uncollected rubbish in the streets is generating inconvenience, pollution, and a threat to public health.
Solid, liquid, and hazardous waste management has become an issue in Africa as a result of urbanisation in the developing world. The fast expansion of cities and metropolitan regions is an essential element of urbanisation in the developing countries. The rapid buildup of waste in African countries is due to the high pace of urbanisation. Since the 1960s, most African nations have seen social and economic transformations, which have contributed to a rise in trash created per capita. As a result, one of the most pressing health and environmental challenges confronting African city administrators is municipal trash management. Waste management is both a benefit and a responsibility to the general population. As a policy, governments have charged every individual, enterprise, or institution to contribute significantly to the process of keeping their communities and environment clean.
Ghana, previously the Gold Coast, had a population of less than six million people during colonial times, and garbage was better handled. In the 1920s, garbage was less voluminous and complicated than it is now, consisting primarily of leaves, paper, and wood products, with little plastic or dangerous chemicals. In recent years, inadequate waste management has resulted in an increase in the frequency of sanitation-related illnesses such as cholera, intestinal worms, and typhoid. These are among the top ten illnesses that have been documented, signalling a public health crisis.
In Ghana, issues with garbage management may be seen at all levels, including collection, transportation, and disposal. In general, current public infrastructure, such as sanitary facilities, are insufficient to meet the needs of the user population, and the sheer volume of municipal solid waste created in the country’s major centres is staggering. While conventional waste disposal facilities are insufficient to handle the quality and amount of trash generated, more advanced systems are costly and require extensive maintenance.
In Ghana, a research done at Kodiabe focused on the manner garbage items were dumped, which included direct observations at disposal sites from five divisions. Another study done in Nigeria found that people’s attitudes and perceptions of sanitation concerns contribute to the waste management problem. Similarly, city inhabitants in Khulna, Bangladesh, believe that because they pay taxes, it is the municipal authority’s sole obligation to provide them with a nuisance-free habitable city. Local governments are often in charge of collecting and disposing of garbage created within their jurisdiction, as well as operating and maintaining their equipment. Local governments, on the other hand, frequently lack the power and resources necessary to deliver a satisfying and financially sustainable service. An fair allocation of responsibility, power, and money between the national government and the local governments is required for effective and efficient solid waste management.
The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, which oversees the decentralised Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies, is thought to be in charge of general garbage management in Ghana (MMDAs). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is overseen by the Ministry of Environment and Science, has regulatory power. Through its Waste Management Departments and Environmental Health and Sanitation Departments, the MMDAs are responsible for the collection and eventual disposal of solid waste. The Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, which oversees the decentralised Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies, is thought to be responsible for general garbage management in Ghana (MMDAs). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which is under the Ministry of Environment and Science’s supervision, has regulatory jurisdiction. Through their Waste Management Departments and their Environmental Health and Sanitation Departments, the MMDAs are responsible for the collection and eventual disposal of solid waste.
However, there is a growing belief that poor waste management methods in Ghana are due to a lack of knowledge on the necessity of appropriate sanitation. Poor attitudes and lack of care about environmental concerns, high levels of poverty, and improper trash disposal techniques are further contributing to this scenario.
Waste management in Ghana, as in many other developing nations, is a difficult issue that has been high on the priority list of successive governments, local governments, and foreign donors in recent years. Waste management is becoming more of a concern in Ghana, and despite significant investments to address the difficulties of sustainable waste management in urban Ghana, there is no indication that these efforts are having the desired impact. Although significant capital investment is necessary to enhance trash management, social and behavioural variables are equally critical to the effectiveness of garbage management in metropolitan settings. In this light, the current study intends to look into community behaviours and beliefs concerning solid waste management in metropolitan Accra, as well as the consequences for health.
Finally, for trash to be produced, we as a society need to consume products that turn of no use after a point. We produce it, hence we shall take care of it.
Our team at SkrapNest is working towards the proper handling of the domestic trash.