Question

QUESTION 1: CASE STUDY
Title: Major Threatening Environmental Problems in Ghanaian Society
In November 2016, the Centre for Environmental Research and Policy Analysis (CERPA) published its findings
of the Ghana Environmental Concern Meter (GECM), an annual public perception report on environmental
protection performance in Ghana. The report revealed that poor sanitation, river body pollution, forest
degradation and land degradation are the four most significant environmental problems in the Ghanaian society.
The study sampled of 837 residents across 6 regions, whose population represents 68.9 per cent of the Ghanaian
population. This study reported that poor sanitation and river body pollutions directly affect 69 per cent and 41
per cent of the Ghanaian public respectively.
On poor sanitation, the study found the Greater Accra region to be the most affected, where more than 90 per
cent of residents are directly affected by its negative consequences. Again, the study reported that over 50 per
cent of residents in the Ashanti region, Northern region, Upper West region, and the Western region are also
directly affected by poor sanitation. The Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate (EHSD) of the
Ministry of Sanitation and Water Resources, poor sanitation cost Ghana $290 million every year. This cost is
incurred as a result of poor sanitation delivery arising from time spent on accessing water and sanitation
facilities, deaths due to poor sanitation, exposure to preventable diseases, among others. The EHSD report that
in 2014 alone, preventable diseases, including diarrhoea, killed over 4,500 children in Ghana, while cholera
killed 247.
In the Eastern region where illegal mining (galamsey) has become rampant in recent times, river body pollution
was found to be the most threatening environmental problem affecting nearly 75 per cent of the residents. River
body pollution again was found to be a major threatening environmental problem in the Ashanti and Western
regions where approximately 50 per cent of the residents were reported to be directly affected. Other
environmental problems reported to significantly affect the lives of the Ghanaian people include climate change,
floods, bush fire, extreme drought, air and noise pollution. Poor spatial planning, the use of dangerous pesticides
and herbicides, and loss of common and native biological species were also reported by the study as being
environmental problems of public concern.
Experts have recommended that the decentralization of environmental policies and programs to the regional and
district levels to be the most effective way to address these environmental problems. This recommendation,
according to the study is based on the fact that the environmental problems which affect the public are not
universal in nature. Regions are faced with different environmental problems at various magnitudes and as a
result have different priorities as to which environmental problem should receive public investment and support.In addition, investing in green businesses, expansive and inclusive public environmental education, and smart
reclamation of polluted rivers bodies as well as protection of all river bodies in the country were reported by the
study as essential requirements to address these environmental problems which affect the Ghanaian people.
REQUIRED:
i. Identify and explain the negative consequences of any two (2) major causes of poor sanitation in the
Ghanaian society.
ii. Identify and explain the negative consequences of any two (2) major causes of river body pollution in
Ghanaian society.
iii. With your knowledge in pollution management, discuss any three (3) of the four most significant
environmental problems threatening environmental sustainability published by the Centre for
Environmental Research and Policy Analysis (CERPA).

Answer 1

1. Sanitation refers to the maintenance and delivery of clean, hygienic conditions that help prevent disease through services such as garbage collection and safe disposal of human waste. Ghana as a nation has performed poorly in the area of sanitation due to a lot of factor. Poor sanitation has significant negative effects on citizens and the national economy as well. Major causes and consequences of poor sanitation is

- weak enforcement of the sanitation law, government is not able to implement sanitation law that have positive effect on the society and the problem of poor sanitation resolves which has lead to poor development of economy of country.

- inadequate sanitation education to the residents of society to reduce problem of poor sanitation. Government should take initiative to educate the people . Increase of problem of sanitation which has lead to increase in death rate of human resident in society.

- failure of the local authorities to take sanitation service and bad attitude of residents has severely impacted the development of society.

2. Freshwater resources are continually decreasing in quality and quantity. Of all renewable natural resources water is the most precious of all and it is a basic requirement in the sustainable of all form of life. Major causes and consequences of river pollution body is

- agriculture waste relased in river has polluted the river body due to chemical and pesticides used which has leads to degradation of water quality.

- illegal mining has leads to quality of ground water and surface water resources worsening.

3. The most significant environment problem threatening environmental sustainability published by the centre for environment research and policy analysis is

- climate change : climate change due to the environment issue is major issues for environment sustainability. Climate change are also called as global warming refers to rise in surface temperature.

- deforestation : environment pollution can leads to deforestation which will leads to major impact on environment sustainability. Deforestation is caused due to lower rainfall. Deforestation issues which greatly impacted the human as deforestation will leads to increase of carbon dioxide in environment which is harmful to human . Environment pollution issues should be taken seriously.

- resources depletion : Resources are depleting day by day due to environment pollution and misuse of environment resources. Resources depletion leads to environment degradation which will leads to impact on human survival. Environment pollution should consider as major issues and steps to be initated to control the environment depletion .