Key policies and governance approach

The foremost environmental law in Ghana is the 1992 Constitution [1], which provides the broad framework for the responsibilities of the state and citizens for environmental protection and the maintenance of a clean, healthy and safe environment which promotes human wellbeing for national development. In fulfilment of these broad responsibilities, Ghana has signed onto a number of international agreements and treaties on health and pollution, and enacted a variety of national legal and policy frameworks for safeguarding the health of citizens and environment [4].

The main agency responsible for air quality management is the EPA. Although Ghana has piecemeal laws, regulations, and policies related to improved air quality and reduced GHG emissions, there is no overarching policy on air quality management, despite the need for air quality management being defined in the Environmental Protection Agency Act 1994 (Act 490) and the Environmental Assessment Regulations, (1999) (L.I. 1652). The National Environmental Sanitation Strategy and Action Plan (2010) supported actions to prevent open burning of municipal and agricultural waste [1].

There are several national institutions and private organizations whose mandates and activities touch—and overlap—on waste management issues (including plastics). In 2007, the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development published an ambitious and holistic Environmental Sanitation Policy. The Policy’s main theme is “Materials in Transition (MINT)”. MINTing is a philosophy of creating awareness to change public attitudes toward handling and disposal of all types of waste by demonstrating that there remains economic value in waste components. It aims to create “green collar” jobs and has the potential to reduce Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies’ waste management costs. The policy has seven broad and cross-cutting focal areas: (i) capacity development; (ii) information, education and communication; (iii) legislation and regulation; (iv) sustainable financing and cost recovery; (v) levels of service; (vi) research and development; and (vii) monitoring and evaluation. In addition, the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) released a draft National Plastics Management Policy in early 2018, aligned with the Environmental Sanitation Policy [1].

EPA also has the mandate to regulate and manage e-waste. The Hazardous and Electronic Waste Control and Management Act, 2016 (Act 917) and its associated regulations, L.I. 2250, are the main legal instruments that govern the control, management, and disposal of hazardous and electrical/electronic waste, as well as regulating electrical and electronic equipment imports and domestic production, and prohibiting e-waste imports. The Act also provides for the establishment of an Electrical and Electronic Waste Management Fund, the objectives of which are to finance modern e-waste recycling facilities, support research and publication of reports, and conduct education and awareness campaigns. Other legislative instruments have supported management and control of electronic waste over the years but, because most e-waste is processed in the informal economy and Government surveillance remains minimal, the regulations are largely not respected [1].

SUCCESSES AND REMAINING CHALLENGES

Despite constitutional and policy frameworks in place for addressing pollution, environmental pollution remains a challenge for the wellbeing of people in Ghana [4]. Ghana has a high number of institutions to deal with environmental management, yet the institutional framework for environmental management is incomplete. The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources and MESTI (2010) reported the combination of potentially conflicting mandates within single institutions—policy coordination, regulation, and management—as impeding improvements to the country’s environmental governance system. They also view the Constitution’s wording as ambiguous in defining the relationship between sector agencies and parent ministries. In their view, the agencies need stronger policy direction from parent ministries to operate efficiently within the national policy framework. In addition, one of the challenges that many institutions face is that they are not equipped with the legal capacity to monitor and enforce actions [1].

Environmental resource management expertise does not reside solely in public institutions, but also in the private sector and civil society. There is, however, little public awareness and lack of involvement by local communities in decision-making. A study on the impact of environmental policy on livelihoods of forest fringe communities found out that policymaking is mainly centralized. Communities are not involved in the policies that affect their livelihood as resource users, so the policies are ineffective at achieving intended objectives [1].

Initiatives and Development Plans

In 2019, MESTI launched the Health and Pollution Action Plan (HPAP), facilitated by UNIDO, in collaboration with the WHO-Ghana, with funding from the European Union and USAID. HPAP provides detailed information on the most critical sources of Ghana’s pollution challenges as well as the actions and the recommendations for mitigating their human health impacts. The action plan provides a framework for Government, other national stakeholders, and development partners who have mandates and interest in assisting Ghana to address pollution, within which to pursue together a structured approach [4], [5].

A Technical Working Group of stakeholder representatives led the pollution source prioritization process for the HPAP and contributed technical expertise to the development of project proposals for addressing the identified priority pollution issues. Project proposals included a Sustainable Waste Management Pilot in the Kumasi metropolis, Resource Efficient - Cleaner Production (RECP) in the Chemu catchment area, and National Contaminated Site Identification and Assessment [4].