Non implementation of clean air regulations said to be contributing to pollution in Ghana
Dr Reginal Quansah, a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana, says the poor enforcement of clean air regulations by local authorities and other agencies is increasing air pollution and denying many Ghanaians the right to clean air.
“My people are dying and others getting sick by inhaling polluted air yet there are some strong and sound laws to deal with the high levels of pollution in urban cities,” he said.
“When one breathes in bad air overtime the impact is felt in short, medium and long-term depending on the health condition, unlike death resulting from vehicle crash,” Dr Quansah said in an interview with journalists in Accra on Tuesday.
He, therefore, cautioned that the implementation of regulations should be devoid of political interference since it had been flagged to be derailing enforcement efforts.
He stressed the need to enforce the existing laws and even enact new ones in addition while others must be revised to effectively deal with air pollution.
“For example, there are several sources of urban air pollution and one of the major sources is open burning of garbage. We have strong laws against this act but I think the assemblies are not implementing them and allowing people to burn at night,” he said.
Dr Quansah said the institutions must be resourced with their capacities built to effectively play their role to ensure clean air.
“We have to be consistent with what we want to do. For example, when you go to court with air pollution case the courts require evidence to reach a conclusion, hence we must get our facts and data right,” he said.
He called for increased awareness creation on air pollution impact and its related linkage to health at all levels of society, especially the educational institutions, to change attitudes of the youth.
According to a World Bank Report ambient concentrations of fine particulate matter are high and remain a key driver of the deleterious health effects of air pollution.
Current air quality conditions present an unacceptable health burden for the population of Greater Accra Metropolitan Area and are not in line with international guidelines for air quality.
Ghana is struggling with disposal due to inadequate waste management systems, leading to open burning to free up space at homes and dumpsites.
Waste burning is a significant source of dangerous carcinogens like dioxins and furans, and black carbon, a short-lived climate pollutant that contributes to climate change.
It increases melting in polar regions due to the deposition of soot and black carbon on snow and ice, with numerous human health issues.
(This story was a collaboration with New Narratives. Funding was provided by the Clean Air Fund. The funder had no say in the story’s content).
Source: GNA