Ghana holds National Environmental Sanitation Forum

The National Coalition of NGOs in Waste Management (NACONWAM) and the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology will hold a National Environmental Sanitation Forum as part of the Government of Ghana's Hundred Days' Sanitation and Ghana Going Green Agenda, under the theme, 'Cleanliness is next to Godliness'...create in me a clean heart O God?.?

The forum which starts at 9:00am at the Accra International Conference Center, will have Vice President John Dramani Mahama, the head of the government's transition team, Mr. P.V. Obeng and representatives of the various ministries, departments and agencies in Education, Health, Tourism, Security, Trade and Industry, civil society, religious bodies, academia and development partners in attendance.

Issues to be discussed include:The role of communities, civil society, service providers, policy makers and the media in solving Ghana's environmental sanitation problems A proposal for the establishment of a Ghana Environmental Sanitation AuthorityInnovative solutions to Waste Management ? Business Plan CompetitionImplementation of existing environmental sanitation laws, plans and strategies.

Nearly all government ministries; Environment, Science and Technology; Local Government and Rural Development; Lands, Forestry and Mines; Education; Health; Trade and Industry; Tourism; Justice; as well as the Environmental Protection Agency, Parliament Sub-committee on Sanitation, Ghana Standards Board, Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA), Zoom Lion, Traditional Authorities, Religious Bodies, the Media, Security Agencies, Association of Ghana Industries and a host of others will present statements of commitment as stakeholder groups.

The forum, which will be in two sessions, will rise with an Action Plan and a Communiqué.
It is organized by NACONWAM and Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology with the sponsorship of the Environmental Service Providers Association (ESPA), Zoom Lion, Joy FM and The World Bank Ghana Office. Other collaborators are Radio Gold, TV3, and Public Agenda.

By Isaac Yeboah