Environmental Protection Agency (Ghana)
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Founded | December 30, 1994Accra | in
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Headquarters | , |
Website | epa |
The Environmental Protection Agency, (EPA Ghana) is an agency of
The agency began during a time of growing concern about the dangers to the environment from careless human activity, prompting the
Before the Stockholm conference, Ghana had felt the need for environmental protection 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 (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 Economic Commission for Africa and the Organisation of African Unity about the need to conserve and protect Africa’s natural resources
Environmental Protection Council history
The Environmental Protection Council (EPC) was established by the
] On 23 January 1974 the head of state[6] signed NRC Decree 239, establishing the Environmental Protection Council. On 4 June, the Environmental Protection Council was established by attorney general; Edward Nathaniel Moore on behalf of the Commissioner of Economic Planning.E. A. Boateng
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
Christine Debrah
Debrah[14] was appointed executive chair of the EPC in 1985. She opened regional offices to bring environmental protection 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.[15] 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.[16]
Franciska Issaka
In 1990, Franciska Issaka[17] 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.[18] 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,[19] which was later adopted by the government. A number of international environmental protocols were ratified at this time, including the Convention on Biological Diversity[20] (signed in 1992 and ratified in 1994) and the United Nations Framework on Climate Change[21] (signed in 1992). The National Ozone Office[22] 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 in 1989.
Council to agency
After the 1992 constitution and national election, the
On 30 December 1994, the Environmental Protection Council became the Environmental Protection Agency in Act 490.[23] 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, was established.[24]
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[25] for Ghana 1997. In September 1997, the United Nations Environment Programme gave an "outstanding national ozone unit award" to EPA Ghana in recognition of its efforts in implementing the Montreal Protocol.[citation needed] 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[26] to guide the agency's activities. In November 2000, the Capacity Development and Linkages for Environmental Impact Assessment in Africa (CLEIAA) project began.[27] 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 won the 2000 elections. Allotey,[28] 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[29] the Okyenhene of the Kyebi traditional area.
In 2001, a school opened in
Allotey led the team which produced a National Action Programme to Combat Drought.[31] The Ghana Technology Transfer Needs Assessment Report, introduced in 2005, was also produced by the agency's climate change adaptation programme[32] which was launched by the Minister in with a team of experts preparing an atlas of the coast.[33] 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.[34] In May 2009 EPA Ghana hosted the International Association for Impact Assessment conference in Ghana, and Allotey was elected chairman of the association.[35] 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 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[36] 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.[37] 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 access.
Ghana celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Montreal Protocol[38] in Ho on 14 September 2012, with its theme "protecting the atmospheres for generations to come".[citation needed] Winners of school competitions received prizes. Climate change 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.[39]
Year | Name | Position |
---|---|---|
1974-81 | E. A. Boateng | Executive chairman |
1981-85 | B. W. Garbrah | Acting executive chairman |
1985-90 | Christine Debrah | Executive chairperson |
1990-93 | Franciska Issaka | Acting executive chairperson |
1993-94 | Farouk Braimah | Acting executive chair |
1994-2001 | Peter Acquah | Executive director |
2001-10 | Jonathan Allotey | Executive director |
2010-2020 | Daniel Amlalo | Executive director |
2020-now | Hon Henry Kwabena Kokofu | Executive Director |
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
Year | Office | First head |
---|---|---|
1988 | Northern Region (Tamale) | Edward M Telly |
1991 | Upper West Region (Wa) | John Pwamang |
1991 | Upper East Region (Bolgatanga) | Saaka O. Sulemana |
1991 | Eastern Region (Koforidua) | Johnson Boanuh |
1991 | William Owusu Adja | |
1992 | Western Region (Sekondi) | Albert Boateng |
1992 | Brong Ahafo Region (Sunyani) | Francis Zakari |
1993 | Central Region (Cape Coast) | Maxwell Nimako Williams |
1994 | Ashanti Region (Kumasi) | Emmanuel Mante |
1996 | Greater Accra (Amasaman) | Fynn Williams |
1999 | Tarkwa | Michael Sandow Ali |
2001 | Tema | Yaw Osafo Afriyie |
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 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 to monitor air pollution 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
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
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 for the competition; in 2010, four were submitted. A delegation from the National MAB Committee visited the Bia Biosphere Reserve.
A strategic environmental assessment (SEA) began in May 2003.[40] The assessment was incorporated into the Ghana Poverty-Reduction Strategy, and 52 district assemblies produced development plans based on the SEA.[40] 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 from 2006 to 2011, produced a manual for mechanical and biological weed control. Total weed coverage in the Tano and Volta Rivers was 6,066 hectares (14,990 acres), and 20 community water-weed committees cleared and maintained 500 hectares (1,200 acres) of weedy areas by 2011.[41] 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.[42]
The 1992–93 drought, which caused bush fires, prompted the EPC to solicit international aid for a lasting solution to the problem. The United Nations General Assembly passed resolution 39/68B, accepting Ghana's application. In 1984 the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) added Ghana to their lists of countries receiving assistance to combat desertification, and in 2002 a national action programme to combat drought and desertification was begun.[43] A project for developing drylands began in May 2006, with northern afforestation and increased production of guineafowl for income.
Noise pollution was widespread in Ghana's urban areas, 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 meters for distribution to its regional offices.[44] With accurate measurements, noise pollution could be prosecuted. EPA Ghana has designated April 16 as National Noise Awareness Day[45] 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 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 as an alternative refrigerant and hydrocarbon technology transfer.[46] The import of equipment using chlorofluorocarbons (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.[47]
A
World Environment Day
World Environment Day 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
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- ^ Ministry of Environment Science and Technology, ″National Environmental Policy 2012″, Accra, Ghana.
- ^ "National Redemption Council". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
- ^ "Ignatius Kutu Acheampong". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
- ^ "Environmental Development". National Development Planning Commission. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
- ^ "Ghana: Archontology". Archontology.org. 2009-06-26. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ Environmental Protection Council ″Annual Report 1974-75″ Accra Ghana
- ^ "Meet first female CEO of Chamber of Mines | lindaakrasi". Lindaakrasi.wordpress.com. 2011-08-18. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ "Prof. Clement Dorm-Adzobu launches guest lecture at ISW/TU Braunschweig « EXCEED". Exceed.tu-braunschweig.de. 2012-04-17. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ EPC ″Annual Report for 1974-75″ Accra, Ghana.
- ^ "404 | Undp". Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
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- ^ EPA (2004), State of Environment Report, Accra, Ghana.
- ^ "Commissioner Biographies". Iisd.org. 1996-10-02. Archived from the original on 2014-02-23. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ Debrah, Lt. Col. Christine (Rtd), 1989, Address to the Conference on Implications of Climate Change for Africa, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA, 5 May 1989.
- ^ "Board of Advisors". Climate Institute. Archived from the original on November 30, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ^ "Meeting Documents - The Ozone Secretariat". Ozone.unep.org. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ "Ghanaian Chronicle » Maintenance Mode". Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
- ^ EPC, ″National Environmental Action Plan″, Vol. I, 1991, Accra, Ghana.
- ^ [2][dead link]
- ^ www.nlcap.net http://www.nlcap.net/NCAP/Ghana. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
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(help) - ^ "UNDP :: United Nations Development Programme :: Official Website". Undp-gha.org. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ "EPA Act". Environmental Protection Agency, Ghana. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
- ^ Roger Goking (2005). The History of Ghana, Green Wood Histories of Modern Nations.
- ^ Armah, A. K., D. S. Amlalo (1998). Coastal Zone Profile of Ghana. Ministry of Environment, Science & Technology/Large Marine Ecosystems Project of the Gulf of Guinea. Vii + 111pp.
- ^ Environmental Protection Agency (1999), Five Year Strategic Plan 1999 to 2003, Accra, Ghana.
- Environmental AssessmentPractitioners and specialists is sub Sahara Africa
- ^ "CDM Ghana Website!!!". Kiteonline.net. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ "King Osagyefuo Panin's Visit". Kingosagyefuopanin.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ [3][dead link]
- ^ Environmental Protection Agency (2002), National Action Programme to Combat Drought. Accra, Ghana.
- ^ EPA (2004), Ghana: State of Environment Report, 2004, Accra, Ghana.
- ^ EPA (2005), Environmental Sensitivity Atlas for the coastal areas of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.
- ^ EPA (2005), Annual Report, 2005, Accra, Ghana.
- ^ [4][dead link]
- ^ [5][dead link]
- ^ "Ghana News Agency". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ "404 | Undp". Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved December 19, 2013.
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: Cite uses generic title (help) - ^ "General Assembly of the African network of Biosphere Reserves (AFRIMAB)" (PDF). Unesco.org. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ a b [6][dead link]
- ^ EPA ″Annual Report 2011″, Accra, Ghana.
- ^ "Ghana News Agency". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
- ^ EPA ″National Action Programme to Combat Drought and Desertification 2002″ Accra Ghana
- ^ EPA ″ Annual Report 2006″ Accra, Ghana
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- ^ EPA ″Progress Annual Report 2004-2010″, Accra, Ghana.
- ^ EPA ″Annual Report 2010″, Accra, Ghana.
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