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The Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA Ghana) is an agency of Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, established by EPA Act 490 (1994). The agency is dedicated to improving, conserving and promoting the country’s environment and striving for environmentally
sustainable development Sustainable development is an organizing principle for meeting human development goals while also sustaining the ability of natural systems to provide the natural resources and ecosystem services on which the economy and society depend. The des ...
with sound, efficient
resource management In organizational studies, resource management is the efficient and effective development of an organization's resources when they are needed. Such resources may include the financial resources, inventory, human skills, production resources, or i ...
, taking into account social and equity issues. It oversees the implementation of the National Environment Policy. EPA Ghana's mission is to manage, protect and enhance the country’s environment and seek common solutions to global environmental problems. Its mission is to be achieved through an integrated
environmental planning Environmental planning is the process of facilitating decision making to carry out land development with the consideration given to the natural environment, social, political, economic and governance factors and provides a holistic framework to ...
and management system with broad
public participation Public participation, also known as citizen participation or patient and public involvement, is the inclusion of the public in the activities of any organization or project. Public participation is similar to but more inclusive than stakeholder en ...
, efficient implementation of appropriate programs and technical services, advice on environmental problems and effective, consistent
enforcement Enforcement is the proper execution of the process of ensuring compliance with laws, regulations, rules, standards, and social norms. Governments attempt to effectuate successful implementation of policies by enforcing laws and regulations. Ena ...
of environmental law and regulations. EPA Ghana is a
regulatory body A regulatory agency (regulatory body, regulator) or independent agency (independent regulatory agency) is a government authority that is responsible for exercising autonomous dominion over some area of human activity in a licensing and regulatin ...
and a catalyst for change to sound environmental stewardship. The agency began during a time of growing concern about the dangers to the environment from careless human activity, prompting the
United Nations The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
to convene a conference in Stockholm on the environment in June 1972. Guidelines for action were adopted at the conference, including the establishment of the
United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on th ...
(UNEP). The decision to establish the Environment Protection Council was a direct result of the recommendations of the
Stockholm Conference The United Nations Conference on the Human Environment was held in Stockholm, Sweden, from June 5–16 in 1972. When the United Nations General Assembly decided to convene the 1972 Stockholm Conference, taking up the offer of the Government of S ...
. Before this decision, Ghana was elected by the General Assembly to the Governing Council of 58 nations set up to administer the affairs of the UNEP. Before the Stockholm conference, Ghana had felt the need for
environmental protection Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment by individuals, organizations and governments. Its objectives are to conserve natural resources and the existing natural environment and, where possible, to repair dam ...
and prepared the ground for a body to deal with environmental matters in the country. Several organizations had begun initiatives in environmental work; the best-known were: *The Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, established as the local counterpart of the international body of the same name *The Conservation Committee of the
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) is South Africa's central and premier scientific research and development organisation. It was established by an act of parliament in 1945 and is situated on its own campus in the cit ...
(CSIR) *The Ghana Working Group on the Environment, an informal group of scientists united by a common concern about environmental matters *National Committee on the Human Environment, formed by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...
in 1971 as a result of concern expressed by the Economic Commission for Africa and the Organisation of African Unity about the need to conserve and protect Africa’s
natural resource Natural resources are resources that are drawn from nature and used with few modifications. This includes the sources of valued characteristics such as commercial and industrial use, aesthetic value, scientific interest and cultural value. O ...
s


Environmental Protection Council history

The Environmental Protection Council (EPC) was established by the National Redemption Council government led by Ignatius Kutu Acheampong. On 23 May 1973, the Government of the National Redemption Council announced the establishment of an Environmental Protection Council under Chairmanship of Professor E.A Boateng, first
vice-chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...
of the University of Cape Coast. On 23 January 1974 the
head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...
signed NRC Decree 239, establishing the Environmental Protection Council. On 4 June, the Environmental Protection Council was established by
attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...
; Edward Nathaniel Moore on behalf of the Commissioner of Economic Planning.


E. A. Boateng

E. A. Boateng Ernest Amano Boateng was a Ghanaian academic and public servant. He was an emeritus professor of geography who taught at the University of Ghana. He was the first vice chancellor of the University of Cape Coast and the first chairman of the then ...
, the council's first chair, began work in a temporary office at the headquarters of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in Airport Residential Area in
Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...
. His secretary was F. K. A. Jiagge and he had ten junior staff, including a stenographer, two clerks, three drivers, a receptionist, a messenger and a night watchman. Two senior staff later joined the EPC: Joyce Aryee and Clement Dorme–Adzobu. The council, made up of 16 members from government, organizations and universities, included E. Lartey (Council for Science and Industrial Research), D. M. Mills (Attorney General's Department), E. G. Beausoleil (Ministry of Health), S. K. P. Kanda (Ministry of Industries), B. K. Nketsia (Ministry of Foreign Affairs), M. Nicholas (Ministry of Agriculture), J. W. Boateng, (Ghana Water and Sewerage Corporation), A. Odjidja (Ghana Tourist Control Board), F. A. A. Acquaah (Meteorological Services Department), J. Bentum-Williams (Ministry of Land and Mineral Resources), P. N. K. Turkson (Ministry of Works and Housing), S. Al-Hassan M. K. Adu Badu (government representatives). The EPC was part of the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning. It moved from its temporary offices at Council for Science and Industrial Research headquarters to the Ministry of Works and Housing and then to Old Parliament House, where it remained until its 1978 move to the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation building. Construction of a permanent council headquarters began at the ministry in 1979, and it was completed in 1994.


B. W. Garbrah

Garbrah was appointed acting executive EPC chair in 1981. The council became part of the Ministry of Health, since it was thought that it would work better aligned with the health sector. During a 1982
drought A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D.  Jiang, A.  Khan, W.  Pokam Mba, D.  Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
, the council focused its attention on tree planting and there was a national
reforestation Reforestation (occasionally, reafforestation) is the natural or intentional restocking of existing forests and woodlands (forestation) that have been depleted, usually through deforestation, but also after clearcutting. Management A debate ...
campaign in the wake of deforestation from 1972 into the 1980s. The EPC moved to the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development to work with district assemblies to ensure environmental sustainability. In 1983, the government introduced a National Bushfire Campaign to minimize the bushfires occurring throughout the country. The council conducted sensitization programmes, and officers traveled throughout the country to minimise bushfire occurrence in collaboration with district assemblies and the Ghana National Fire Service.


Christine Debrah

Debrah was appointed executive chair of the EPC in 1985. She opened regional offices to bring
environmental protection Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment by individuals, organizations and governments. Its objectives are to conserve natural resources and the existing natural environment and, where possible, to repair dam ...
closer to the people, particularly in northern Ghana. The Northern Regional Office in Tamale, headed by Edward M. Telly, opened in 1988 and work began on more offices. Debrah emphasised environmental education, contributing to the debate on
climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
. Her staff attended international conferences to deliberate on, and find solutions to, global and national environmental problems. For her contributions, Debrah was listed on the UNEP Global 500 Roll of Honour and is a member of the Climate Institute's board of advisors.


Franciska Issaka

In 1990, Franciska Issaka was appointed acting chair of the EPC. She continued its expansion, employing more staff and in 1991 opening the Upper West Regional Office in Wa headed by John Pwamang. Issaka ensured that all the regional offices had permanent locations. The council brought together environmentalists and academicians to draft the 1991 National Environmental Action Plan, which was later adopted by the government. A number of international environmental protocols were ratified at this time, including the Convention on Biological Diversity (signed in 1992 and ratified in 1994) and the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (signed in 1992). The National Ozone Office was established as part of the EPC in 1991 to end the import of ozone-depleting substances by the country after Ghana ratified the
Montreal Protocol The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion Ozone depletion consists of two related events observed sinc ...
in 1989.


Council to agency

After the 1992 constitution and national election, the National Democratic Congress government of
Jerry John Rawlings Jerry John Rawlings (22 June 194712 November 2020) was a Ghanaian military officer and politician who led the country for a brief period in 1979, and then from 1981 to 2001. He led a military junta until 1992, and then served two terms as the de ...
created the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology the following year. A national environmental policy was produced, and the council was moved into the ministry to implement it. In June 1993 a five-year Ghana Environmental Resource Management project, sponsored by the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
, was begun to ensure staff infrastructure. The agency expanded, and by December 1993 six regional offices were in operation: Western, Volta, Eastern, Ashanti, Northern and Upper West. The following year, three additional regional offices opened: Central, Greater Accra and Brong Ahafo. On 30 December 1994, the Environmental Protection Council became the Environmental Protection Agency in Act 490. The act empowered the agency to legally prosecute environmental offences and sue for breaches of the law. A 13-member management board, headed by
Arnold Quainoo Lieutenant General Arnold Quainoo is a Ghanaian former military officer and served as the Chief of Defence Staff of the Ghana Armed Forces from August 1983 to September 1989. He took over from Flight Lieutenant J. J. Rawlings and handed over to ...
, was established.


Peter Acquah

Peter Claver Acquah was appointed acting executive director of EPA Ghana in 1994, and the agency completed its integrated coastal-zone management strategy for Ghana 1997. In September 1997, the
United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on th ...
gave an "outstanding national ozone unit award" to EPA Ghana in recognition of its efforts in implementing the Montreal Protocol. The Tarkwa Office was opened as part of the Western Regional Office to oversee mining problems in 1999, with Michael Sandow Ali its first head. That year, a strategic plan was produced to guide the agency's activities. In November 2000, the Capacity Development and Linkages for Environmental Impact Assessment in Africa (CLEIAA) project began. Acquah opened the Tema office, headed by Yaw Safo Afriyie and later by Lambert Faabeloun, in 2001 before his resignation that year.


Jonathan Allotey

Allotey was appointed acting executive director in October 2001 by President John Kufour, whose
National Patriotic Party The National Patriotic Party (NPP) is a political party in Liberia. It was formed in 1997 by members of the National Patriotic Front of Liberia following the end of the First Liberian Civil War. History The party contested the 1997 general el ...
won the 2000 elections. Allotey, former director of the Regional Programmes Division, was the first staff member to become head of the agency. The government placed the agency under the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development. A management board was appointed, chaired by Osagyefo Amoatia Ofori Panyin II the Okyenhene of the
Kyebi Kibi or ''Kyebi'' is a town and the capital of the East Akim Municipal District, a district in the Eastern Region of south Ghana, on the eastern slopes of the Atewa Range. Kibi lies at an altitude of 318 m, and, Kibi has a 2013 settl ...
traditional area. In 2001, a school opened in
Amasaman Amasama is a small town and is the capital of Ga West Municipal District, an MMDA located within the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The town is known for the Amasama Secondary Technical School. The school is a second cycle The second (symb ...
for training national and international experts in
environmental management Environmental resource management is the management of the interaction and impact of human societies on the environment. It is not, as the phrase might suggest, the management of the environment itself. Environmental resources management aims ...
. A mining reclamation bond was posted, so mining companies do not have to post a bond; if a company fails to reclaim a mine site, funds can be released for
reclamation Reclaim, reclaimed, reclaimer, reclaiming or reclamation means "to get something back". It may refer to: * Land reclamation, creating new land from oceans, riverbeds, or lake beds * Dedesertification, reversing of the land degradation in arid ...
. Allotey led the team which produced a National Action Programme to Combat Drought. The Ghana Technology Transfer Needs Assessment Report, introduced in 2005, was also produced by the agency's climate change adaptation programme which was launched by the Minister in with a team of experts preparing an atlas of the coast. The agency coordinates the work of the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme in Ghana. In 2005 Daniel S. Amlalo, the agency's deputy executive director, was elected vice-chairman of the International Coordinating Council of Man and Biosphere. In May 2009 EPA Ghana hosted the International Association for Impact Assessment conference in Ghana, and Allotey was elected chairman of the association. He resigned from the agency the following year.


Daniel Amlalo

Daniel Amlalo was appointed the agency's acting executive director on 1 December 2010, renovating EPA Ghana's offices and creating more offices at the Millennium Block. In 2011, the second five-year strategic plan was produced for 2011 to 2015. Ghana’s second national communication under the
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) established an international environmental treaty to combat "dangerous human interference with the climate system", in part by stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations in th ...
was issued. In 2011, EPA Ghana produced guidelines for the environmental assessment and management of offshore oil and gas development. The government renamed the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation in January 2012 to promote innovation in science. The Cleaner Production Centre was dedicated in Tema by Minister Sherry Ayittey on 20 January 2012. A capacity development mechanism project, aiming to improve internal communication within the agency to increase efficiency, began in 2012. With financial support from the Canadian International Development Agency, communications between the agency's head office and regional offices have been improved with
broadband Internet In telecommunications, broadband is wide bandwidth data transmission which transports multiple signals at a wide range of frequencies and Internet traffic types, that enables messages to be sent simultaneously, used in fast internet connections. ...
access. Ghana celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol in Ho on 14 September 2012, with its theme "protecting the atmospheres for generations to come". Winners of school competitions received prizes.
Climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
issues were tackled, with the national climate-change adaptation strategy document produced that year. Amlalo was appointed EPA Ghana executive director on 3 January 2013, and began the agency's modernization. Three new offices were opened in Nkwanta (Volta), Damongo (NR) and Wulensi (NR) in August 2013. The 2013 Man and Biosphere Programme in Africa elected him its chair.


Activities

* Environmental education * Environmental impact assessment * Strategic environmental assessment * Environmental governance * Monitoring of industry and mines * Natural-resource management * Legal compliance and enforcement * Environmental performance rating and public disclosure * Reporting on the state of the environment * Research on environmental sustainability


Regional offices


Projects

The Ghana Environmental Resource Management Programme began in 1992 to protect the environment at international standards, and staff were sent overseas to study for master's degrees. New departments and a library were opened, and books and videos acquired. In 1994, a historical database of the environment was published with 2,145 records and
environmental impact assessment Environmental Impact assessment (EIA) is the assessment of the environmental consequences of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action. In this context, the term "environmental imp ...
guidelines and procedures were produced. An environmental-education strategy for Ghana was introduced on 22 November 1994. An urban air-quality project by EPA Ghana and the
United States Environmental Protection Agency The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is an independent executive agency of the United States federal government tasked with environmental protection matters. President Richard Nixon proposed the establishment of EPA on July 9, 1970; it be ...
to monitor
air pollution Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...
in Accra began in 2004. Results showed that at six locations, roadside dust and vehicular emissions were the main contributors of airborne particulates. In 1988, the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Interna ...
launched a clean-air initiative for
Sub-Saharan Africa Sub-Saharan Africa is, geographically, the area and regions of the continent of Africa that lies south of the Sahara. These include West Africa, East Africa, Central Africa, and Southern Africa. Geopolitically, in addition to the List of sov ...
n cities. After EPA Ghana officers found elevated blood-lead levels in schoolchildren and those working near roads, such as the police and young salespeople, leaded gasoline was phased out in December 2003. EPA Ghana, the UNEP and the
Ghana Health Service The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is a Ghanaian government body established in 1996 as part of the Health Sector Reform of Ghana. The Health Service is under the Ministry of Health. The Health service primarily administrates the health services prov ...
monitored blood-lead levels in
Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, , ...
and
Kumasi Kumasi (historically spelled Comassie or Coomassie, usually spelled Kumase in Twi) is a city in the Ashanti Region, and is among the largest metropolitan areas in Ghana. Kumasi is located in a rain forest region near Lake Bosomtwe, and is the ...
in 2006 to assess changes in blood-lead levels after the phaseout of leaded gasoline.
Blood samples In medicine, venipuncture or venepuncture is the process of obtaining intravenous access for the purpose of venous blood sampling (also called ''phlebotomy'') or intravenous therapy. In healthcare, this procedure is performed by medical labo ...
were taken from the Ghana Police Service and Tema Oil Refinery personnel, tanker drivers and workers and tollbooth operators, and the populations were all within the
World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...
limit of 20 µg/dl. A National Programme of Action (NPA) seeks to protect Ghana's marine environment. Land-based activities had increased marine pollution from industrial effluent and poorly-managed waste, with resource degradation and increased
coastal erosion Coastal erosion is the loss or displacement of land, or the long-term removal of sediment and rocks along the coastline due to the action of waves, currents, tides, wind-driven water, waterborne ice, or other impacts of storms. The landward ...
. The impacts of these activities compromised the capacity of the coast to support sustainable socioeconomic and
ecosystem services Ecosystem services are the many and varied benefits to humans provided by the natural environment and healthy ecosystems. Such ecosystems include, for example, agroecosystems, forest ecosystem, grassland ecosystems, and aquatic ecosystems. Th ...
, such as tourism. With support from the
Guinea Current The Guinea Current is a slow warm water current that flows to the east along the Guinea coast of West Africa. It has some similarity to the Equatorial Counter Current in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. See also * Ocean currents * Oceanic gyre ...
marine-ecosystem project, the NPA is prepared to solve domestic sanitation, fisheries degradation, wetland and mangrove degradation, industrial pollution and coastal erosion with institutional capacity-building, educational and awareness programmes and regulatory activities. EPA Ghana is a focus of the Man and Biosphere programmes. In 2004 the National MAB Committee was chartered, and it began in 2005. Ghana joined the International Coordinating Council (ICC) of the MAB. Each year, entries are received for the MAB Young Scientist Award Competition. After review, and the best are submitted to
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...
for the competition; in 2010, four were submitted. A delegation from the National MAB Committee visited the Bia Biosphere Reserve. A
strategic environmental assessment Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) is a systematic decision support process, aiming to ensure that environmental and possibly other sustainability aspects are considered effectively in policy, plan and program making. In this context, followi ...
(SEA) began in May 2003.
/ref> The assessment was incorporated into the Ghana Poverty-Reduction Strategy, and 52 district assemblies produced development plans based on the SEA. An SEA manual was produced, and assessments were conducted for transport and water. Integrated management of invasive aquatic weeds, with financial support from the
African Development Bank The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) or (BAD) is a multilateral development finance institution headquartered in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, since September 2014. The AfDB is a financial provider to African governments and private companies i ...
from 2006 to 2011, produced a manual for mechanical and biological weed control. Total weed coverage in the Tano and Volta Rivers was , and 20 community water-weed committees cleared and maintained of weedy areas by 2011. At the end of the project, two weed harvesters were purchased to clear all weeds in the Volta and were commissioned in 2012 by the Minister of Environment, Science and Technology. The 1992–93
drought A drought is defined as drier than normal conditions.Douville, H., K. Raghavan, J. Renwick, R.P. Allan, P.A. Arias, M. Barlow, R. Cerezo-Mota, A. Cherchi, T.Y. Gan, J. Gergis, D.  Jiang, A.  Khan, W.  Pokam Mba, D.  Rosenfeld, J. Tierney, an ...
, which caused bush fires, prompted the EPC to solicit international aid for a lasting solution to the problem. The
United Nations General Assembly The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
passed resolution 39/68B, accepting Ghana's application. In 1984 the
United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on th ...
(UNEP) and
United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)french: Programme des Nations unies pour le développement, PNUD is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human dev ...
(UNDP) added Ghana to their lists of countries receiving assistance to combat
desertification Desertification is a type of land degradation in drylands in which biological productivity is lost due to natural processes or induced by human activities whereby fertile areas become increasingly arid. It is the spread of arid areas caused by ...
, and in 2002 a national action programme to combat drought and desertification was begun. A project for developing
drylands Drylands are defined by a scarcity of water. Drylands are zones where precipitation is balanced by evaporation from surfaces and by transpiration by plants (evapotranspiration). The United Nations Environment Program defines drylands as tropical ...
began in May 2006, with northern afforestation and increased production of
guineafowl Guineafowl (; sometimes called "pet speckled hens" or "original fowl") are birds of the family Numididae in the order Galliformes. They are endemic to Africa and rank among the oldest of the gallinaceous birds. Phylogenetically, they branched o ...
for income.
Noise pollution Noise pollution, also known as environmental noise or sound pollution, is the propagation of noise with ranging impacts on the activity of human or animal life, most of them are harmful to a degree. The source of outdoor noise worldwide is main ...
was widespread in Ghana's
urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, t ...
s, with the chief culprits religious organizations, bar and restaurant operators who played loud music at night and music-cassette vendors. After complaints from the public, in September 2006 the agency purchased fifteen
sound level meter A sound level meter (also called sound pressure level meter (SPL)) is used for acoustic measurements. It is commonly a hand-held instrument with a microphone. The best type of microphone for sound level meters is the condenser microphone, whic ...
s for distribution to its regional offices. With accurate measurements, noise pollution could be prosecuted. EPA Ghana has designated April 16 as National Noise Awareness Day to alert the public to environmental and health implications of excess noise. A legal database project was begun in 2008 to group environmental laws in Ghana. EPA Ghana has an ozone unit, tasked with phasing out ozone-depleting substances (ODS) after Ghana signed the Montreal Protocol, and information on ODS uss was collated for the multilateral fund and ozone secretariats. Refrigeration shops were monitored to ensure good practice and identify
refrigerant A refrigerant is a working fluid used in the heat pump and refrigeration cycle, refrigeration cycle of air conditioning systems and heat pumps where in most cases they undergo a repeated phase transition from a liquid to a gas and back again. Ref ...
brands on the market. Few shops had CFC12 and R134a, and shops with a mixture of refrigerants had them seized. R-406A, a new refrigerant compatible with CFC12 and HFC134a systems, was found in use. Seminars, with more than 1,420 participants, were held on good refrigeration practice,
hydrocarbon In organic chemistry, a hydrocarbon is an organic compound consisting entirely of hydrogen and carbon. Hydrocarbons are examples of group 14 hydrides. Hydrocarbons are generally colourless and hydrophobic, and their odors are usually weak or ex ...
as an alternative refrigerant and hydrocarbon
technology transfer Technology transfer (TT), also called transfer of technology (TOT), is the process of transferring (disseminating) technology from the person or organization that owns or holds it to another person or organization, in an attempt to transform invent ...
. The import of equipment using
chlorofluorocarbon Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are fully or partly halogenated hydrocarbons that contain carbon (C), hydrogen (H), chlorine (Cl), and fluorine (F), produced as volatile derivatives of methane, ethane, and prop ...
s (CFCs) was banned in 2010, and customs officers were trained in their detection. Applications for financial incentives from three cold-storage facilities were approved, and the facilities were inspected. EPA officers visited the three major foam-producing factories in Accra and Nsawam to ensure worker safety and environmental compliance. A waste-segregation project was introduced by the Minister of Environment Science and Technology.
/ref> With support from Jakora Ventures, a private
waste management Waste management or waste disposal includes the processes and actions required to manage waste from its inception to its final disposal. This includes the collection, transport, treatment and disposal of waste, together with monitoring ...
company, 6,000 litter containers were obtained and distributed to 48 institutions in the ministries area. Each institution has three containers on each floor, and paper, plastic and food waste is placed in separate containers which are emptied daily. The paper and plastic will be recycled, and the food waste will be
compost Compost is a mixture of ingredients used as plant fertilizer and to improve soil's physical, chemical and biological properties. It is commonly prepared by decomposing plant, food waste, recycling organic materials and manure. The resulting m ...
ed. If the project is successful, it will be extended to homes and markets.


World Environment Day

World Environment Day World Environment Day (WED) is celebrated annually on 5 June and encourages awareness and action for the protection of the environment. It is supported by many non-governmental organizations, businesses, government entities, and represents the ...
is celebrated annually to increase awareness of national environmental problems. The EPC began the celebration in June 1975 with an exhibit entitled "Man and his Environment". Each year a different theme is chosen, and the celebration is rotated among Ghana's ten regions. In 2006 it was celebrated in Duase Ashanti Region with the theme "Your planet needs you; unite to combat climate change", and in 2010 it was celebrated at Osino in the Eastern Region with the theme "Many species, one planet, one future".


40th anniversary

The agency celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2014. Begun on 29 January, the celebration included tree-planting, lectures, a school competition, awards and a dinner. A Green City Project, a new head office, began the year and with a groundbreaking ceremony and the agency is seeking accreditation for a university to train environmental experts. UNEP executive director Achim Steiner planned to visit the agency, and individuals and companies who contributed to making Ghana an environmentally-friendly country were scheduled to receive awards.


References

{{Authority control Environment of Ghana
Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...