The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has identified the pollution of water bodies in the country as the greatest threat to achieving sustainable development goal (SDG) Six in the next seven years.
The United Nations (UN) SDG Six seeks to ensure universal access to clean water and improved sanitation for all by 2030.
With seven years to the deadline, the Executive Director of the EPA, Dr Henry Kwabena Kokofu, said the heavy pollution of rivers by human activities, particularly through illegal mining and industrial waste, would be the waterloo for the country’s effort at meeting the target.
Dr Kokofu has, therefore, warned that the EPA would crack the whip on errant companies in the manufacturing, chemicals and extractive sectors.
“We at the EPA cannot run away from blame in terms of water pollution because we have the mandate to lead the process of protecting the environment.
We are doing our best to fulfil that mandate but our best may not be enough.
“We have been cracking the whip as an authority but we will have to tighten the knot going forward.
Going forward, we will name and shame in public.
Whatever punishment we give out to errant companies will be made public to serve as a deterrent,” he said.
The EPA boss stated that at a workshop on wastewater management organised by the Embassy of Denmark last Thursday.
Danish Wastewater technology
The workshop was meant to discuss the prospects of sustainably managing wastewater in the country through the adoption of modern technologies from Danish companies.
Currently, Denmark treats 97 per cent of wastewater generated by companies, far above the global average of 20 per cent.
As a measure to help Ghana manage its wastewater, two Danish technology companies – Alumichem and Biokube, are partnering with Nutrifoods, producers of Tasty Tom tomato paste, in a pilot project that seeks to transfer the Danish technology into the country.
The workshop discussed the success of the pilot project and the possibility to scale up.
Good move
Dr Kokofu said the partnership with the Danish companies was crucial as it would ensure appropriate technologies were deployed to effectively manage wastewater.
Again, she observed that the partnership would help build local capacity to effectively manage wastewater.
He added that as the government was vigorously pursuing the one distinct one factory (1D1F) policy, there was the need for proper wastewater management regimes to ensure that the activities of those companies did not pollute waterbodies.
As we industrialise, the infractions on the environment will be high, and that is why we need to strengthen our monitoring regimes to ensure that the appropriate technologies are deployed for effectively managing wastewater in particular,” he said.
“Industries need to also up their game in terms of compliance.
The compliance level now by industries is around 60 per cent but they must do more.
They must up the technologies for managing wastewater,” he said.
Enhanced collaboration
The Deputy Head of Missions at the Embassy of Denmark, Vibeke Sandholm Pedersen, called for enhanced sharing of technologies on wastewater management between developed and developing countries to help achieve SDG Six.
She noted that Denmark companies were ready to share their high technology for the treatment of wastewater.
Pedersen explained that Denmark achieved 97 per cent wastewater management because it was an environmental legal requirement.
She said based on that legal requirement, many Danish companies had been at the forefront of developing innovative technologies within the water sector.
Pedersen added that based on the critical need for efficient management of wastewater, the Danish Embassy, in collaboration with those companies, started a project to aimed at transferring their wastewater treatment technologies to Ghana.
She said the leveraging expertise of the partner companies would accelerate Ghana’s quest to achieve SDG Six related to water and sanitation.
“By working together, we can ensure the responsible management of our water resources and create a better future for generations to come,” he said.