PRESS STATEMENT: YALI calls on gov’t to act on flooding situation

CHANGE WASTE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY TO ADDRESS PERENNIAL FLOODS IN ACCRA - YALI ALUMNI TO GOVERNMENT

Floods in the Capital City have become an annual and routine occurrence that need to be reversed. This would however require pragmatic solutions that tackle the root causes of these floods.

Since June 3^rd flood disaster in 2015, Accra Floods continue to pose serious security threats to residents as evident in recent disasters. Lives are lost and properties destroyed, economic activities get disrupted as mobility within the city become virtually impossible each time it rains. Government budget comes under stress when emergency services have to be provided to restore equilibrium in the ecosystem to protect lives and properties.

Though causes and effects of the flood disasters are well known to all, not much has been done to tackle root causes of the situation sustainably hence the annual occurrence.

Aside planning issues and poor drainage systems, waste mismanagement is a major underlying cause of these perennial floods in the Capital. The waste situation is assuming a crisis dimension in Ghana. Waste mismanagement draws back efforts by Government, development agents and agencies to attain the Sustainable Development Goals in Ghana by UN’s 2030 timeline. 

Waste materials are useful resources in transition and must therefore not become nuisance and disaster causing agents.

In pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals and the President’s vision to make Accra the cleanest city in Africa, YALI Alumni Association of Ghana is embarking on behavior change campaign to sensitize populace on sustainable waste management and benefits to society.

The campaign raises awareness on the urgent need to transform waste management in Ghana to institute the culture of source separation and value recovery. It rallies young people and sector stakeholders to sensitize and empower residents to manage waste as resource. It would be carried out by the Association and partners nationwide. This we believe would prepare all stakeholders and residents in the readiness process as we provide needed support systems to institute source separation and value recovery of waste as a national ethos.

We are launching the campaign today in commemoration of the June 3^rd flood disaster in Accra. 

We therefore call on Government, its agents and agencies; industry, the media, citizens and all relevant stakeholders to support our campaign to transform waste management culture for shared benefits. A sustainable waste management system would contribute largely to preventing flood disasters in Accra, and attaining major targets for the Sustainable Development Goals. Sustainable jobs would be created along the vale chain as communities and people become safer, healthier and wealthier.

Signed

Communication Department

MONDAY JUNE 3RD 2019