President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo yesterday launched the National Plastic Action Partnership (NPAP) with the conviction that it will be a game-changer in the management of plastics in the country.

 
He said it would lead to the promotion of green alternatives, nurture the development of new business models for job creation throughout the value chain and develop systems and infrastructure across the country to ensure that the waste was turned into value added products.

The partnership, the first in Africa and the second in the world after Indonesia, is a collaborative work among the government of Ghana, the World Economic Forum, under its Global Plastic Action Partnership (GPAP), and other stakeholders.

The GPAP aims to create a world free of plastic pollution and ensure that plastics are manufactured, used and re-used in a sustainable way.

It is co-founded by Coca-Cola, Pepsi Cola, Nestle and the governments of Canada and UK and hosted by the World Economic Forum.

Ghana was selected as the first African country to join the partnership because many of its existing initiatives are in line with the GPAP’s aims, which include the National Plastic Management Policy and the approaches that are currently in progress in Ghana.

President Akufo-Addo expressed confidence that through the partnership with GPAP, progress would be fast-tracked in Ghana “towards that collective goal, which is to achieve zero leakage of plastic waste into our oceans and waterways”.

Pledge

Addressing the gathering, which included captains of industry, members of the Diplomatic Corps, chief executives of waste management companies and leaders of international organisations, President Akufo-Addo pledged the full commitment of the government towards the successful implementation of the programme that would be outlined under the partnership.

He said his administration considered the plastic menace as a serious matter, and that was why he charged the Ministry of Environment to develop a strategy to deal decisively with the issue, which strategy had attracted the attention of the global community.

He said Ghana’s plastic management policy did not only focus on how to address the use of plastic waste but also took a holistic view of the entire value chain of plastic and how to achieve several objectives, including the development of a working circular economic framework for plastics in Ghana.

“While the eventual outcome of the NPAP will be owned by the people of Ghana, it is my expectation that its example will contribute to the resolution of this problem on the African continent and be a shining example of the global achievements of GPAP,” he added.

He commended private sector operators for building plastic waste recycling plants to create bio-fuels that were being used as alternatives to fossil fuels that polluted the environment and produce building blocks used to construct roads and pavements.

Civil Society

The President commended civil society and the media for their efforts at raising awareness of efficient waste management and existing opportunities for waste recovery in the country and gave an assurance that the government was ready to partner all stakeholders, especially the private sector and academia, to drive investment and research in the area of plastic waste management.

He called for significant behavioural change to stop the damage to the environment and expressed delight over the prominence that had been given to the implementation plan of the draft National Plastics Management Policy.

President Akufo-Addo commended the UNDP for facilitating the establishment of the Waste Recovery Platform for Ghana and the governments of the UK and Canada for their commitment and financial support for the GPAP initiative.

Minister

The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Prof. Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, said over 3,000 tonnes of waste from plastics was generated across the country daily, which constituted about 14 per cent of the entire municipal solid waste accumulated in the country.

He added that within the Accra Metropolitan Area, including the Accra-Tema coastline areas, 35.6 per cent of the total waste was plastics and between two and five per cent of waste from plastics was collected for recycling, which was almost entirely performed by the informal sector.

He said when fully implemented, Ghana’s policy would unlock economic incentives for source separation, collection, processing and recycling of plastic waste into valuable resources and generate revenue estimated at $400 million per year.

Source: graphic.com.gh

 

Past Projects

Kasa's efforts in restoring mangrove forests to mitigate coastal erosion

The Keta lagoon tragedy is still edged in the minds of residents who helplessly watched as the sea claimed their loved ones lives, their property and even robbed their gravesites. Now, all that’s left of a once thriving community is stumps of houses and sunken hopes evident by their scowled faces. This phenomenon is unfortunately becoming common along Ghana coastlines as the sea levels rise and take claim to lives, land and property.

One of the evidence of climate change is rising temperatures which impact the sea and oceans in various ways. One is melting polar ice which leads to expansion of oceans which in turn encroach on lands such as Keta. Secondly, the high temperatures which are stored in the water exacerbates water acidity which then degrades coral reefs and even mangroves; which act as sea defense. Cases such as Keta’s can be observed world over, in coastal areas.

The Government of Ghana has responded to this recurring disaster with measures to keep the sea at bay and relocation propositions for community members. Along  Ghana’s volta region and other coastal regions, one can observe sea defense systems protecting coastlines from strong tidal waves that cause erosion, flooding, amongst other hazards. These engineered structures are fortified to ensure durability and restoration of normally for coastal communities. However, as with most man made structures, there is a lifespan to such structures.  That is why organisations such as Kasa Initiative Ghana advocate for Nature based solutions such as planting of Mangroves.

Mangroves forests not only act as sea defense but perform as carbon sinks better than terrestrial forests. Additionally, their roots create an ecosystem for marine life to start and thrive. Marine creatures such as turtles and fish rely on this ecosystem for survival in initial life stages before venturing into the deep sea. Kasa with support from IUCN and Forestry commission sought  to restore mangrove in South Tongu District of the Volta Region. The exercise, done in collaboration with youth, women and men from the communities not only identified locations for restoration but also provided seedlings and carried out the planting. The initiative also engaged community members on the importance of mangrove forest in the environment and what it takes to ensure the forests reach maturity. 

 

In previous years, communities along the coastline in the Volta region were well barricaded from tidal waves by thinning mangrove forests. However, due to livelihood activities such as mangrove harvesting, the forests are now shrinking and far apart. Smoking of fish and other seafood is common in these areas with mangrove being the preferred source of firewood. Due to this, introduction of alternative livelihood is a key component to restoration efforts to avoid a recurrence of the current where firewood heaps are aligned along the coastline and in markets. 

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