This should improve waste collection at the port of Dambai, in the Oti region of Ghana. The Ghana Maritime Authority (GMA) is providing three vessels for waste collection at the landing beach. The boats will notably help to clean up the bodies of water in the port of Dambai. According to Richard Lartey, GMA’s Deputy Director of Projects, Monitoring and Evaluation, the clean-up of the Oti River will increase fish production.
The port of Dambai serves as a transit point between southern and northern Ghana. It is this situation that encourages pollution by the dumping of waste on the landing stage. “To ensure that the ships are used for the right purposes, our marine inspectors and officials will regularly visit Dambai beach, as well as all the other beaches in the country to make sure that they are all clean. The Authority will also engage in educational exercises to ensure that officials at the port continuously raise awareness of the cleanliness of the area,” says Lartey.
The unsanitary conditions in Dambai are also visible in many parts of Ghana. The country produces 12,710 tonnes of solid waste every day, according to utility company Zoomlion. Most of this waste ends up on the streets and in rivers. But the Ghanaian government is stepping up efforts to improve waste management in the country. In November 2020, the authorities launched the construction of solid waste recycling and composting units in the Savannah and Volta regions. The two facilities will be capable of processing 600 tonnes of waste per day.
The Ghanaian authorities also plan to equip Gbalahi (in the district of Tamale, editor’s note) with a wastewater treatment plant and a solid waste treatment plant.
Inès Magoum