The first training course for municipal wastewater managers in West Africa towards addressing problems associated with wastewater in the coastal cites in the region ends today in Accra.
Discharge of untreated municipal waste water into rivers, lagoons and estuaries or directly in the ocean has been identified as one of the most serious threats to the health of coastal populations and sustainable coastal development worldwide.
As a result, there is the need to adopt and implement alternative and sustainable approaches to municipal waste water management to reduce the large proportion of the population who lack access to adequate sanitation.
It is believed that if these managers are trained they will convey the message and eventually lead to a change in managing municipal wastewater which is one of the main land-based sources of pollution to the coastal and marine environment.
UNEP Global Programme of Action for the protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based Activities together with the UNESCO-IHE Institute for Water Education developed the course to raise awareness on the need to improve municipal wastewater management for coastal cities.
As a response, the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana (EPA) in collaboration with UNEP/UNESCO and the University of Ghana delivered the course to municipal wastewater managers and representatives from organisation that influence the implementation of projects in municipal wastewater collection and treatment.
Similar training programmes will be held in Sekondi-Takoradi and Kumasi later in the year.
According to the Executive Director of EPA, Mr. Jonathan Allotey there are many resources found within the coastal zone which are also very fragile.
He noted that the ecosystem of the coastal zone is currently under pressure due to a variety of socio-economic activities such as industries, unplanned urban settlement, location of hotels, and mining activities.
He said Ghana has a coastline of over 550 kilometers which makes up 6.5% of the total area of the country and about 60 % of industries located within the coastal zone.
However, he said activities within the zones have increased significantly the incidents of pollution within the coastal zone, coastal erosion and degradation of the natural resources.
"The impact of these activities has sufficiently compromised the capacity of the marine and coastal system to support socio-economic development which has resulted in food insecurity and deepening poverty in communities within the zones."
Mr. Allotey recalled that it is in recognition of this that in 2001 in Montreal, governments of coastal countries including Ghana committed themselves to global plan of action on land based activities that threaten marine and coastal zones.
He said Ghana endorsed the EPA to support the global fight. “In accordance with the global plan of action, Ghana organised a stakeholder workshop in 2005 to review previous strategies and on going initiatives.
"The EPA believes that by working in close collaboration with stakeholders it will result in reversing the current trend in coastal marine water areas in Ghana."
An Environmental expert of the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), Dr. Jacques Abe who is also the Executive Director of The Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem (GCLME) Project, noted that municipal waste water is increasingly becoming a serious issue that needs to be addressed, hence the training of trainers to increase awareness on reducing pollution and improving water quality.
Dr. Abe said municipal wastewater management is necessary so countries can utilize their rivers for livelihood and as sources of clean drinking water.
He regretted that waste water is regularly discharged into the lagoon ending in the sea, saying, "It is time for countries to reflect on how to work together for conducive regional cooperation to help prevent our resources from pollution, as majority of our people depend on them for survival'.
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