HTU calls for greater investment in environmental research, stronger sanitation enforcement

The Head of the Civil Engineering Department at Ho Technical University (HTU), Ing. Dr Mrs. Patricia Asantewaa-Tannor, has called on the government, development partners, and private institutions to invest more in environmental research and enforce stricter sanitation regulations to help address Ghana's growing waste management challenges.

She made the call during a cleanup exercise organised by the Civil Engineering and Environmental Science Departments to mark World Environment Day, under the theme "Keeping HTU Clean, Be Inspired for Action Now." The initiative brought together the two departments, with the Environmental Science Department led by Dr Selase Adanu.

According to Dr Asantewaa-Tannor, environmental protection requires collective action, stressing that every individual has a role to play in safeguarding the environment.

"What we want to let our students and the general public know, is that the environment can be saved by each individual. What you do and what I do, all put together, will help us make a better environment to live in for ourselves," she said.

She noted that poor sanitation continues to impose enormous indirect costs on the country through disease outbreaks and increased healthcare expenditure. "Most of the public health diseases, typhoid, diarrhoea, Hepatitis B and others are associated with sanitation," she stated. She explained that investing in preventive measures such as dustbins, waste collection systems and public education would cost far less than responding to disease outbreaks.

Dr Asantewaa-Tannor expressed concern over inadequate support for environmental research despite substantial investments in sanitation over the years. She urged government agencies and development partners to make research funding more accessible to universities and students working on innovative environmental solutions.

Citing a student project that produced biochar from rice husks and placed third in a competition, she lamented the lack of support for scaling up such innovations. "My department was able to manufacture charcoal from rice husks last year. We went for a competition with it, and we were third. And this is something that we can scale up. But it will be here on our shelf. No one seems interested," she said.

The lecturer also called for stronger sanitation enforcement and producer responsibility for waste management. She argued that the long-held notion that waste becomes the responsibility of the government once it leaves households should be reviewed. According to her, producers of plastic waste should bear part of the cost of managing it. She suggested that when sachet water rubber is found littering the environment, the manufacturers should be held accountable. She believes such measures would reduce waste generation and indiscriminate dumping.

Drawing comparisons with other countries, Dr Asantewaa-Tannor noted that Sweden sends only about one 1% of its waste to landfill sites, while South Korea recycles more than 90% of its waste. In contrast, Ghana recycles only about 5-10%, with the majority ending up at landfill sites. She stressed that increased investment in research and innovation could help reverse the trend.

She further revealed that research conducted on campus showed that improper waste disposal remains largely an attitudinal problem. Despite education on waste segregation and the provision of separate bins for organic and plastic waste, many students still disposed of waste incorrectly. "One fundamental challenge about sanitation is attitudinal," she observed, stressing the need for continuous behavioural change campaigns.

Dr Asantewaa-Tannor urged students and the public to take personal responsibility for protecting the environment. She encouraged simple waste management practices such as keeping litter until people find a litter bin and properly storing used sachet water wrappers and plastic bottles for disposal. "So my number one message is that we must be conscious of the environment and also know that our little actions, when it comes together, will help save our planet," she added.

She explained that the clean-up exercise sought to inspire students to become active participants in environmental protection. "My key message out there is that we should be each other's keepers. Once you get to know the good message, explain it to someone," she said, noting that littering contributes to blocked drains, siltation and flooding in many parts of the country.

Student leaders who participated in the exercise also highlighted the need for stronger sanitation awareness. President of Women in Engineering at HTU, Ms Yaffit Lartey, and Vice President of the Faculty of Engineering, Dormenyo Evans, attributed poor sanitation habits among some students to negative attitudes, laziness and the misconception that cleaning is solely the responsibility of cleaners. They called for continuous education, incentives for students who promote sanitation, and regular clean-up exercises to encourage behavioural change.

Mr Dormenyo revealed that the Faculty of Engineering's upcoming Faculty Week celebration in July will showcase engineering innovations developed by students, including digital waste bins designed to automatically separate biodegradable waste from plastic waste. He said the initiative demonstrates how technology and innovation can contribute to addressing environmental and sanitation challenges while promoting sustainable waste management practices.

The World Environment Day celebration ended with renewed calls for collective responsibility, increased investment in environmental research, sustained public education and stronger enforcement of sanitation laws to help build a cleaner and healthier Ghana.

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