Ekumfi: The Ekumfi District Assembly in Central Region has rolled out measures to improve sanitation, stressing that a cleaner environment is essential for public health and a key contribution to the fight against climate change. To make sanitation a shared responsibility, the Assembly has made waste management compulsory for all communities and organisations.
According to Ghana News Agency, in many rural parts of Ghana, waste is often disposed of by burning or at open dumping sites, which emit methane and contribute to the climate crisis. Similarly, the widespread use of firewood for cooking has also increased pressure on the environment through deforestation. Although fossil fuel use remains the largest global contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, in Africa, waste-related emissions are rising faster than overall emissions. Waste accounted for about 8 percent of Africa's total greenhouse gas emissions in 2021, mainly from wastewater treatment and solid waste disposal.
Mr. Ismail Nana Asamoah, District Chief Executive (DCE) of Ekumfi, told the Ghana News Agency that through a contract with Zoomlion Ghana Limited, waste bins have been provided at strategic locations, while skip trucks have been deployed to improve waste collection. He said the Environmental Health and Sanitation Unit and the Health Directorate had been tasked to engage communities regularly to ensure refuse was properly disposed of at designated sites.
The Assembly, in collaboration with the Environmental Health Unit, the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) and the Health Directorate, is also promoting waste segregation and recycling to reduce landfill waste and cut harmful emissions. Through its Household Improved Toilet Facilities initiative, the Assembly is supporting households to build toilets and bath facilities, thereby reducing the discharge of liquid waste into drains and protecting water sources.
As part of enforcement measures, about 20 individuals have been prosecuted for offences including dumping refuse in open spaces, keeping unhygienic backyards and operating as food vendors without health certificates. The Assembly has also introduced initiatives to reduce reliance on firewood for cooking. More than 2,000 improved coal pots (Agyapa) have been distributed to households, with plans to distribute an additional 3,000. The move is aimed at reducing smoke emissions and limiting the volume of firewood required for cooking.
"Sanitation in Ekumfi, once a major challenge, has significantly improved," Mr. Asamoah said, adding that residents were now more aware of how good sanitation practices contribute directly to environmental protection and climate resilience. He urged citizens to support the Assembly's efforts, stressing: "Clean surroundings are not just a matter of pride; they are a safeguard for our health, our environment and our planet's future."
