Ministers, MMDAs urged to build consensus to tackle environmental indiscipline in Ghana

Ministers, MMDAs urged to build consensus to tackle environmental indiscipline in Ghana

The Chief Executive of the Adentan Municipal Assembly, Alexander Nii-Noi Adumuah, has reiterated the need for Ministers to liaise with the Chief Executives of Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) for a consensus on fighting the canker of environmental indiscipline in urban areas so as to build resilient cities.

He said this on Thursday during the celebration of the World Cities Day organized by the Local Government and Rural Development at the Adentan Municipal Assembly in Accra.

The MCE noted that the idea is to focus on the creation of awareness in the urban communities on how to energize and empower citizens as well as strengthen institutions to provide the necessary amenities that would ensure discipline and good lifestyle.

Nii-Noi Adumuah again emphasized that the need to create such awareness is to allow the citizens realize what government want to achieve like better cities and lives, stating that, “if we continue in this status quo with lots of indiscipline within the citizens like building and dumping of refuse anywhere, it would be difficult for the government to achieve anything in its agenda,”

“We must change our attitudes and mindset towards the littering and improper construction at flood prone areas in order to build resilient cities. And so, with this kind of change, even if natural disasters occur, we will have the resilience to withstand it,” Nii-Noi Afumuah said.

He again added that “this is the reasons why the Ministers have come together to adopt and develop a strategy to find solutions to the menace and ensure the beautification of the cities and improve on better lives for citizens.

“This really brings focus on urbanization of our cities and dwelling places and the resilience as a whole,” he stated.

Speaking on the theme: “Changing the World: Innovations and better life for future generations” the Deputy Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Kwasi Adjei-Boateng, who spoke on behalf of the sector minister underscored the need for public discourse for innovative ways in the management of cities and towns through robust and technological ways.

He outlined some challenges confronting the urban sectors and landscape such as improper management of waste and disposal of waste, job creation, lack of resilient planning, flooding, among others.

The Deputy Minister cited the report of the Ghana National Population and Housing Census (PHC, 2012) which indicates that Ghana is experiencing rapid urbanization and most affected region is Greater Accra with a population of over 4 million which is more than 16 percent of the nation’s population and the fastest growing city in the region of West Africa

Statistics, according to the Deputy Minister shows that Ghana is urbanized by over 52 percent, unfortunately, the urbanization drive is characterized by challenges such as unplanned towns and cities with issues of improper disposal of solid waste and housing deficit, adding,

“We must work hard to make sure disasters in the country are tackled and not reoccur. We must come together as citizens in partnership to deal with the challenges of the urban sprawl, poor management of both liquid and solid waste, housing deficit and to deliver environmentally-friendly innovations to tackle the menace,” he noted.

“I announce to you that Parliament just approved the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development (GARID) project with the World Bank facility of $200 million to address the flooding issues and to upgrade slums in some selected communities in GAMA areas,” he indicated.

He therefore urged the assemblies to learn the best practices of urban management from each other, discuss innovation solutions and explore new technological solutions to improve waste management in the municipalities.

The ceremony also saw the inauguration of the Coalition of Students in Urban Advocacy and Research to support and find innovative ways to deal with urban challenges.

Source: Eric Nii Sackey, [email protected]