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National Environmental
Sanitation Conference ends in Kumasi
December 10, 2010
The
maiden National Environmental Sanitation Conference (NESCON 2010),
organised under the auspices of
Environmental Health and Sanitation
Directorate (EHSD) of the
Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development of Ghana (MLGRD),
has ended with members advocating for increased financial investment
into sanitation facilities from both government and the private
sector. The three-day (8
– 10 December 2010)
conference was organized under the theme
Building
Partnerships for Scaling-up Improved Environmental Sanitation
Services,
and focused,
inter alia,
on effectiveness of policies and programmes, capacity building and
institutional frameworks, sustainable financing and private sector
participation, value-chain analysis of waste streams, governance and
accountability issues, and industry experiences and new
developments.
In the
opening session, the special guest of honour and Minister for MLGRD
affirmed the commitment of the Government of Ghana
(GoG) to supporting the
advocacy role beyond the UN’s International Year of Sanitation (IYS
2008), and also to the Sanitation and Water for All, a Global
Framework for Action initiative.
Moreover, the Ashanti Regional
Minister, Hon. Kofi Opoku Manu, stated that Ghana’s Medium-Term
Development Policy Framework (MTDPF, 2010 – 2013) recognizes the
importance of environmental sanitation, and thus lists a number of
measures that mainly targets waste treatment and disposal, as well
as increasing the level of access to modern toilet facilities at the
household level.
NESCON
2010 created the opportunity for all stakeholders – politicians,
academia, traditional authorities, media, sector practitioners,
private operators, NGOs and CBOs, insurers and microfinance
institutions, among others – to discuss challenges and strategies in
the delivery of sanitation interventions, and to contribute towards
setting common agenda and action plans that will enable Ghana
achieve the Millennium Development Goal on Sanitation. It also
provided platforms for participating institutions to showcase
innovative activities being undertaken in the form of poster
exhibitions.
CEESD used
the occasion to call for some changes to be effected in the National
Environmental Sanitation Policy, notably, the placement of emphasis
on waste reduction and waste treatment instead of waste collection
and disposal. Participants agreed that CEESD concerns were
noteworthy and should be fully considered in the next review of the
policy.
Presentations
made covered various aspects of sanitation, from communication and
awareness programme, institutional factors, and technological
innovations for sanitation improvement. The presentations are listed
below:
|
Integrated Waste
Management in Western Africa (IWWA) |
KNUST team |
|
Implications for Accelerating Environmental Health and
Sanitation delivery |
Minister, MLGRD |
|
Improving Decentralised Environmental Sanitation Governance |
Director, EHSD-MLGRD |
|
The Role of Partners in the Implementation of Policies and
POWs of the Health Sector – implications for environmental
sanitation |
Director-General, Ghana Health Service |
|
Acquisition of Sites for Treatment and Disposal – Challenges
of Local Authorities |
Alfred Kwasi Opoku, Jeavo Associates Ltd., Accra, Ghana |
|
The Revised Environmental Sanitation Policy and Highlights
of National Environmental
Sanitation Strategy and Action Plan (NESSAP)/
Strategic Environmental
Sanitation Investment Plan (SESIP) |
MLGRD/EHSD |
|
Ghana’s Performance in Environmental Sanitation over the
last medium-term period: plans, prospects and constraints
(with special reference to revenue allocation and
utilisation) |
Director General, National Development Planning Commission
(NDPC) |
|
Loans for Home improvements: Are toilets important?
Prospects and Constraints, |
CHF-Ghana/HFC Bank Partnership (Boafo Micro-Finance) |
|
Improving Environmental Health and Sanitation – What is the
potential impact on the NHIS |
Francis-Xavier Andoh-Adjei, |
|
Institutional Strengthening and
Capacity Enhancement for decentralised delivery of
environmental sanitation services: What are the Options? |
Prof. Mrs. Esi Awuah,
Director of
SNOWS Initiative: Research Capacity Building in
Environmental Health, Water Supply and Sanitation in Africa,
Dept. of Civil Engineering,
KNUST, Ghana |
|
Strategies for enhancing capacity within decentralisation
policy and environmental sanitation policy – Implications of
LGA 1993, (Act 462), LGSA (Act 665) and LI 1961 |
Callistus Mahama,
ILGS/ Local
Government Secretariat |
|
Implementing Ghana’s SWA Compact: What are the roles of Key
Partners? Will they deliver? |
DPs (Water and Sanitation) |
|
Linking NESSAP and SESIP programmes
and District Development Funding (DDF) Facility Components |
Coordinator DDF Secretariat MLGRD/ Local Service Delivery
and Governance Programme Support |
|
Sustainable means of financing stormwater drainage and
sullage (grey water) conveyance infrastructure at MMDAs |
HSD-Ministry of Water Resources Works and Housing (MWRWH) |
|
Implementing policies effectively: Should we legislate to
disseminate? Developing a communication plan for the Revised
Environmental Sanitation Policy (2010) |
Kwasi Opoku-Amankwa,
School of
Communication Studies, University of Ghana |
|
Changing Perceptions on Wastes – Practical Considerations |
CEO Trashy Bags |
|
Strategies for Behavioural Change Communication |
Theodora Adomako, Community Water and Sanitation Agency
(CWSA), Lois Ayisi, Relief Ghana |
|
Important Issues on Sanitation, Hygiene and Water Delivery |
Othniel Habila, UNICEF, Ghana |
|
Effective Dissemination and Implementation of Environmental
Sanitation Policies, Plans, Programmes and Projects: What is
the evidence-base of the effectiveness of NGOs |
Martin Dery,
Coalition of NGOs in Water
and Sanitation
(CONIWAS) |
|
Strengthening the legal framework for environmental
sanitation: What is required to enhance implementation of
policy measures and NESSAP strategies and actions? |
Maxwell Opoku-Agyemang, Ghana Law School |
|
Accelerating Home-Latrine Promotion – Perspectives on SESIP
Revolving Fund and the Role of Micro-Finance Institutions |
Yaw Gyamfi, Ghana Microfinance Institutions Network
(GHAMFIN) |
|
Preparation of District Environmental Sanitation Strategies
and Action Plans (DESSAPs); Perspectives from Regions |
Director, EHSD |
|
Presentation of
District Environmental Sanitation Strategies and Action
Plans (DESSAP) |
Ledzorkuku-Krowor
Municipality
|
|
Materials-in-Transition (MINT): Options for Closing the Loop |
Lukman Y. Salifu, CEO WasteCare |