The second edition of the Ghana Environmental and Sanitation Awards (GESA) was held on Saturday, December 2 with the theme: ‘Projecting Collective Quest for a Clean, Green and Blue Ghana’.
The Awards provided a platform dedicated to leading the charge on achieving various environmental goals as stipulated in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Media General’s award-winning broadcast journalist, Joseph Armstrong Gold-Alorgbey was adjudged the ‘Most Impactful Media Personality in Environmental and Sanitation Promotions 2023’.
This year’s edition marks an exciting journey to recognize and honour outstanding individuals, organizations, and initiatives that have made significant contributions to environmental sustainability and sanitation practices in Ghana.
Speaking to the media, Joseph Armstrong Gold-Alorgbey expressed worry over the level of disregard for the proper disposal of plastic waste in the environment.
According to him, almost every major water body in the Greater Accra Region has heavily been polluted with plastic waste.
Many of such water bodies such as the Korle Lagoon, Gbebu Lagoon, Kpeshie lagoon, Sakumono lagoon have all dried up due to pollution, he said.
“The Korle Lagoon once a vibrant healthy aquatic ecosystem teeming with mangroves where people could fish, has now become a dead zone with hypoxic water with our political leaders still offering lip services of dealing with the situation.
“The Korle Lagoon is one of the major basins through which the greater proportion of the flood waters of the metropolis flow into the sea, but it is heavily polluted with plastic waste.”
He added: “In other parts of the world, water bodies are used as tourist attraction centers, transportation and even sport.
“Even though limited in water bodies, Dubai, Egypt, South Africa among other countries are considering man-made lakes to boost tourism. Indeed, cooperation can only work when all parties and stakeholders come to the understanding that activities that threaten water bodies are a recipe for chaos.
“With the effects of climate change which is fast eroding gains in the agricultural sector, when water bodies are not well treated, Ghana and many countries in Africa are estimated to suffer water shortage leading to huge economic crisis and poverty.
“Until measures are taken to protect water bodies from filth and plastic waste, Ghana will continue to lose her marine fish and fisheries stocks to the disadvantage of the country as economic and livelihoods are lost.”
The Chief Executive Officer of EduEnter Group, organizers of the awards, Nanayaw Kwakye-Boadu, said celebrating the tireless efforts of individuals and entities who have demonstrated exemplary commitment to preserving and improving the environment is a necessary step.
“By acknowledging these unsung heroes, we hope to inspire and encourage others to join hands in the vital mission of safeguarding our natural resources and creating a cleaner, healthier Ghana for all.
“In this stead, we wish to create synergies to work towards achieving our set goals in the environmental and sanitation value chain, thus inspired by the SDG Goals (3, 6, 13, 14, and 15),” he said.
