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 supportIn 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).

QUESTION 2: APPLICATION QUESTION
a. Ghana’s extractive sector is said to have made significant contribution to its economic growth and social
development since independence. However, the devastating impact to natural environmental resources like
forests, farmlands and water bodies have proven to be negative. Discuss any three (3) activities and effects
of gold mining on the environment in Ghana.
b. Recommend any five (5) ways to manage or reduce those impacts.

QUESTION 3: ESSAY QUESTION
Using relevant examples in Ghana, discuss any three (3) major reasons why both private and public
organisations must incorporate environmental concerns into their operations in order generate value and gain
competitive advantage for their firms.

Answer 1

i)causes of poor sanitation :

a) access to water is scarce : hence sanitation provision becomes difficult . with less water and lot of time is taken to fetch the water , leads to diseases - like diahorrea . lots of kids are killed because of this.

b) lot of time is spent on accessing sanitation facilities as these are either in very poor condition or very few in number with respect to the popuation - again this leads to disesases which can be prevented.

ii)causes of river body pollution : illegal mining (galamsey) is the major cause of river body pollution . Illegal mining leads to leakage of harmful minerals into the water which when drunk or used by people leads to diseases. This also pollutes water and leads to loss of marine life and animal life .

iii)most significant environmental problems threatening environmental sustainability ; ( these are apart from sanitation and river body pollution)

These are

a) climate change : climate change also affects the regions with colder region becoming hotter and vice versa or change in the rainfall pattern which affets the flora , fauna and animal life .

b) Floods : Flooding is major problem which might be caused due to climate chnage .

c) use of dangerous pesticides and herbicides : this leads to air , water pollution affecting animals and people .

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