Accra: An environmental communication expert, Dr. Akwesi Bosompem Boateng, has called for increased investment in waste management, particularly in waste collection equipment, logistics, and engineered landfill sites across all 260 districts, to address the country's worsening sanitation challenges. He emphasized that the country's waste management system remains weak due to years of inadequate investment, highlighting that the June 29 floods exposed critical gaps requiring urgent and sustained action.
According to Ghana Web, Dr. Boateng, in an exclusive interview with The Ghanaian Times, stressed that the recent nationwide clean-up exercise organized after the floods was commendable but should not be viewed as a lasting solution to the country's perennial flooding problem. He urged the government to prioritize long-term interventions, including increased investment in waste management infrastructure, strict enforcement of sanitation bye-laws, the recruitment of more waste collection personnel, and the revival of community-based sanitation programs.
Dr. Boateng, who is also a senior lecturer at the School of Communication and Media Studies of the University of Education, Winneba, underscored the importance of effective waste collection, regular desilting of drains, compliance with planning regulations, and sustained public education as critical measures to build flood-resilient communities. He attributed widespread flooding to indiscriminate waste disposal, encroachment on waterways and wetlands, weak physical planning, and unauthorized construction, which had obstructed the natural flow of stormwater over the years.
While commending the government's response through relief operations, desilting of drains, demolition of structures on waterways, and the nationwide clean-up exercise, Dr. Boateng cautioned that such measures would only have a temporary impact without sustained enforcement of sanitation and planning regulations. He emphasized the need for long-term action, urging enforcement of planning laws, cessation of building on waterways and wetlands, and improvement in waste management practices.
Dr. Boateng also expressed concern about changing building practices, noting that many property owners paved entire compounds with concrete and blocks, leaving little space for rainwater to soak into the ground and increasing surface runoff during heavy rains. He advocated for the accelerated adoption of waste segregation, recycling, and composting to reduce dependence on landfill sites and improve environmental sustainability.
He called for intensified public education on environmental protection and climate change, emphasizing that behavioral change remains essential to addressing the country's flood challenges. Dr. Boateng urged authorities to ensure funds allocated for flood prevention and environmental management are used judiciously while appealing to Ghanaians to dispose of waste responsibly, comply with planning regulations, and protect the environment.