Question

QUESTION 2
You have been appointed as the Advocacy Officer (AO) of Eco-Watch GH, a civil society organisation (CSO),
with a mission to promote high environmental sustainability stewardship among mining firms in Ghana. Explain
the concept of Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and discuss any three (3) benefits that the mining
companies stand to gain by implementing EMS in their organisations.

QUESTION 3
Discuss any five (5) major causes of ecosystem degradation in Ghana.

Answer 1

Environmental Management System- so basically it is a structure used by organizations to achieve their environmental goals.
And they do so by keeping a regular check on their performance and evaluating it and making it better.
An environmental management system (EMS) helps an organization to know its demand In a proper manner.
Elements of an EMS -The different elements of an EMS are as follows:
1. analysing an organizatons environment goals
2.understanding its environmental impacts as well as legal requirements.
3. establishing environmental objectives to reduce the harmful impacts.
4.keeping a check on the various programs made under environmental management system of the organization .

3 Benefits that the mining companies stand to gain by Implementing EMS are-

1.Acquiesce environmental regulations.

2.It ensures that corporate environmental policies are adopted and followed.

3.Know its technical and economic benefits.

Question 3.

5 major causes of ecosystem degradation in Ghana:

1.Decrease in Vegetation Cover-the vegetation cover has depleted drastically over the past few decades in Ghana leading to

2.Depletion of Soil Nutrients-The organic matter content in most soils is low as most of the soils are old and have been percolated over a long period of time.

3.Soil Erosion -Soil erosion is the primary form of land degradation in Ghana. Soil erosion is a naturally occurring process on land.

4.Overgrazing-Overgrazing caused by the combination of rapid increase in the livestock population, sedentarization of pastoral populations, and the reliance of the livestock sector on extensive grazing on natural pastures and poor development of pasturelands has led to increasing pressures on land resources.

5.Deforestation
Deforestation represents probably the most serious form of natural resource degradation in Ghana, and it is one of the main direct causes of soil degradation in the country.