By Edward Dankwah, GNA
Accra, March 26, GNA – Stakeholders in Ghana’s environmental sector have validated a marine litter policy brief aimed at addressing gaps in waste management systems and improving environmental sustainability.
The validation formed part of efforts to develop a comprehensive policy framework to strengthen governance, enhance financing mechanisms, and promote efficient waste management practices across the country.
Mr. Richmond Kennedy Quarcoo, Country Director of Prevention of Marine Litter in the Gulf of Guinea (PROTEGO) Project – Ghana, said the policy document examined critical issues across the waste management value chain, including governance and financing gaps.
He noted that inadequate waste management systems remained a major challenge, stressing the need for reforms in how services were financed and delivered.
“It has been established that we have a baseline problem of insufficient waste management systems, and the solution lies in how we generate revenue and structure contracts for these services,” he said.
PROTEGO is a project funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Climate Action, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, led by Adelphi Research GmbH, and implemented in Ghana by the Ghana National Cleaner Production Centre and Plastic Punch.
Mr Quarcoo, who doubles as the Executive Director of Plastic Punch, explained that the policy proposed decentralisation of waste management systems to improve efficiency, adding that government had already taken steps in that direction.
He said key institutions such as the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), and the Environmental Protection Authority were contributing to the process, alongside insights drawn from international frameworks.
The Country Director outlined that the PROTEGO Project was structured into four work packages, including the mapping of marine litter hotspots, which identified Tema and Ada as priority areas.
Under the innovation component, he said the project was supporting initiatives such as Coliba Recycling and Ambitious Ghana River Recycle with funding of up to €40,000 and technical assistance to scale solutions in waste collection and recycling.
He added that the project also focused on policy development, including support for Extended Producer Responsibility, as well as awareness creation through digital tools such as video games and animations.
He expressed optimism that the validated policy brief would contribute to a comprehensive framework to strengthen waste management practices, mobilise financing and reduce marine litter in Ghana.
Dr Peter Dery, Director for Environment, MEST, said while the country’s National Plastic Waste Management Policy, adopted in 2022, provided a framework for regulating plastic waste, it did not sufficiently address issues related to marine litter.
Dr Dery said the growing concern over plastics entering the ocean, largely from land-based sources such as improper waste disposal and drainage systems, had necessitated the development of a targeted policy brief.
He clarified that the document was not a new policy but would serve as an input into the review of the existing framework to ensure marine litter was adequately addressed.
Dr Dery said the Ministry welcomed the development, especially as it was already considering a revision of the national policy and implementing initiatives to manage marine pollution in collaboration with partners.
He noted that ongoing partnerships with international organisations, including the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), were supporting efforts to tackle marine litter and strengthen environmental governance.
The Director further indicated that global discussions on plastics, including efforts to establish an international treaty on plastic pollution, were increasingly focusing on the marine environment.
He said Ghana was positioning itself to align with such global frameworks by strengthening its policies to reflect emerging international standards.
GNA
Kenneth Odeng Adade