Featured Article: A Fight Against Open Defecation and Filth Along Ghana Beaches

We might understand as a country that, plastic waste/ pollution on the shores of our beaches is not a good thing, but we still do it anyways and are just realizing the impacts these pollutants have on the economy, human life and the marine ecosystem.

According to Laist 1997, over 100 species of seabirds are known to ingest plastic artefacts that are washed from the shores of our beaches into the sea and become entangled with them. In the quest to survive, they eat anything resembling food, which latter causes them to die. These waste materials cause ulcerating sores, blockage of digestive tract followed by satiation, which leads to starvation and most often kills them in the end. When this happens, it reduces their quality of life and reproductive capacity, which may in the long run reduce the world’s food supply.  Marine debris entangle these animals especially sea turtles, preventing them from swimming to the surface, not breathing and causing them to drown.

An article on heaps of plastic waste at Korle- Naa beach cleared by Charles Mensah on Monday, 17^th February 2017 revealed that, the beach has been cleared of tons of plastic bottles that had been washed ashore over time. This exercise themed “ Hani w) loo”- a Ga expression meaning, “lets collect” took the collective effort of Hipsters of Nature, an Environmental NGO, the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) and Zoom lion Ghana limited and support from the European Union (EU) delegations to Ghana as well, to clean the beach. 

This event attracted hundreds of participants from organizations such as the Rotary Club, Spintex, Monitoring for Environment and Security in Africa (MESA)- University of Ghana, the Youth employment agency, public schools in James Town and Nima, Embassies, community leaders and individuals, the media, to mention but  few.

The head of the EU delegation to Ghana, Ambassador William Hanna, said that, the EU has long been committed to tackling climate change and felt the need to support the local partners in protecting the environment. She again added that, the ocean is one and a collective effort is needed by all to keep it clean. She urged Ghanaians not to throw plastics away but to rather recycle them.

The mayor of Accra, Hon. Mohammed Adjei Sowah promised to transform the capital from filth, but this fight cannot be won alone by him but by the change of lifestyle attitudes of Ghanaians. He explained that, the tons of filth at the beach wasn’t mostly dumped there but comes through the Korle lagoon any time it rained.

The Minister for Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), Professor Frimpong Boateng emphasized the effects of plastic waste on marine life as enormous. He said our fishermen do not catch enough fish when they go fishing, what they get in their nets are plastic bottles. This I think doesn’t help the country economically.

At the end of the ceremony, the hipsters of nature showed how plastic bottles can be recycled to make objects that are useful, of which they can make a living out of, rather than polluting the beaches and making the country lose revenue.

Research has shown that, for the past 40years, 52percent of the world’s marine wildlife have been destroyed through the pollutions on our beaches which ends up entering the sea. Although we as Ghanaians are to be blamed for our quota of this destruction, the good news is that, we still have the power to help preserve the marine ecosystem.

Ghana would have to intensify the fight against clean beaches and open defecation, or risk losing tourists which may eventually collapse the tourism industry in the country. This is due to the fact that, tourists are gradually getting fed up with the insanitary state of the tourist sites, particularly, the beaches. In a report by JoyNews’ Joojo Cobbinah, it was revealed that, tourists who visit the Cape Coast Castle in the Central Region of Ghana, have vowed never to swim at the beach due to the indiscriminate practice of open defecation along the shores of the beaches.

One tourist lamented that, the fishermen who incidentally seek their source of livelihood from the same spot, have turned the sea sides behind the castle into an open defecation ground. They ease themselves in the water and use the same water to wash their anus even in the presence of the tourists. This act according to the tourist is unacceptable and advised the government to adopt pragmatic ways of dealing with the issue and taking care of the beaches in order to attract more tourists to the country, hence more foreign exchange.

Another tourist added that, “I heard of this before coming to Ghana, I really love the beach and swimming also, Ghana has so many beautiful beaches and good places, but to swim here, I just wouldn’t try it.”

The assistant director of the Cape Coast Castle however says the activities of residents along the beaches is causing embarrassment and shame to the tour guides as it is difficult for them to really tell them why they defecate them, so they give the excuse that, they’ve tried all they could but yet to no avail. The reasons of these residents are lack of toilet facilities at their homes, whilst others find fun in doing so. They claim when they squat at the beach, they enjoy fresh air and also the water carries the excreta away and it comes at no extra charge or fee.

Beaches which are supposed to be places of relaxation for tourists are brimming with pollutants and faecal matter. This act poses a great threat to the tourism industry as this act put tourist off as well as the health of citizens of the country as it increases the rate of sanitary diseases such as cholera and diarrhea.

 Statistics from the world bank showed that, one out of five Ghanaians practice open defecation and this practice makes Ghana to lose $79 million annually, which isn’t helpful to the country’s economy and as that amount of money can be used for other developmental projects for the country.

Annual beach clean ups are very essential to the development of the country and the tourism industry. A clean up after yourself policy can be implemented, where patrons of the various beaches are to leave with what they came with. It doesn’t also hurt to pick up after your neighbors if you notice a few things have been left behind. 

Beach clean ups are a great way to assist the environment and meet like-minded individuals who want to reduce pollutants and encourage clean beaches and this is why as the National President of the Ghana Association of Tourism Students with over 900 membership population in all tertiary institutions in Ghana, I and my team have agreed to partner with the Ministry of Tourism and  the Ghana Tourism Authority in an ongoing campaign to sensitize and ensure that  the beaches are cleaned from all forms of waste and also help to fight against open defecation, thereby maintaining the health of both local and foreign patron, as well as making our beaches to regain their attractiveness and serve their purpose of providing recreation and relaxation for tourists. 

Cleaning the beaches in Ghana project is an  exercise that will be undertaking by the Ministry of Tourism in partnership with the Ghana Association of Tourism students -Tertiary chapter in collaboration with the Zoom lion Ghana to clean the beaches in the country with health screening and sensitization about the importance of Coastal sanitation to the Tourism industry in Ghana .The activity is proposed to take place in Accra on the 21^st of September 2018 in James Town and we believe this annual exercise will help  attract more tourists for the Nation to gain more foreign revenue  increasing the country’s GDP and also reduce diseases like Cholera and Malaria in our coastal areas in Ghana.

CLEAN BEACH GHANA 2018!!!!

THE BEACHES, OUR TOURISM RESOURCE.

By Desmond Asomaning

President, Ghana Association Of Tourism Students

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