AMA Partners US Embassy To Clean Beaches

The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has joined forces with the United States (US) Embassy in Ghana to clean-up some major beaches in the metropolis.

This activity was part of plans to commemorate the World Wildlife Day which is celebrated on March 3, every year.

The celebration anchored on the theme ‘Life below water: for people and planet’ and is closely aligned with the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)14—which has a special focus on the conservation and sustainable use of marine wildlife.

Addressing the media during the exercise, on Saturday, US Ambassador to Ghana, Stephanie S. Sullivan highlighted the need to keep beaches and coast lines clean at all times.

According to her, a clean coastal line is a source of attraction to both visitors and citizens adding that caring for the beaches should be a shared responsibility.

“Let’s be conscious of plastics, let’s be conscious of the way we dispose off our waste and we look forward to more news about opportunities to recycle and properly dispose off waste so that we have a really clean beach here in Accra…as we are in Ghana, it’s really one of the treasures that people admire apart from the hospitality of the Ghanaian people. The beaches are also of a very big attraction,” she said.

Recycling plant

Speaking on the side-lines of the event, the Mayor of Accra, Mohammed Adjei Sowah noted that plans were being put in place to ensure the Accra composting plant is fully functional before the close of the month.

According to him, the compost and recycling plant will have the capacity of treating over 400,000 tons of waste daily.

“In a couple of weeks within this month, we’ll be commissioning a waste treatment plant that can recycle and provide compost for about 400,000 tons of waste daily and that will be a major boost in our fight against bad attitudes in terms of the environment,” he said.

He added that the presence of the plant would reduce the amount of waste that is sent to the landfill.

Mr. Adjei Sowah said, “We will have a shorter turnaround time and we’ll be able to collect the over 300,000 tons of waste that is generated daily in Accra”

He mentioned however that, without attitudinal change in the indiscriminate disposal of waste, all efforts by government to make Accra the cleanest city in sub-Saharan Africa, would be fruitless.

“We want to stop the waste from the upstream so that it doesn’t come downstream for us to have a filthy coast.  The marine drive will also make sure that this part of the coast becomes clean and better,” he added

Life below water

The ocean contains nearly 2000 identified species with over 3 billion people depending on marine coastal biodiversity for their livelihoods.

Marine wildlife has sustained human civilization and development since the beginning of time for providing food and nourishment to materials for handicrafts and construction.