AN ANALYSIS OF SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT EMANATING FROM
GOOD ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES
TO FACILITATE SOCIO-ECONOMIC
DEVELOPEMENT IN GHANA
INTRODUCTION
• Sustainable development is defined as ‘Development that meets the
needs of the present without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their own needs’. Sustainable development thus
ensures that all man-made and natural resources support socio-economic
development and growth which meets the present and future needs of
both human kind and other living things. Therefore, for future
generations to benefit from the use of these resources there is the need
to effectively and efficiently manage the economic, social and natural
resources which may be non-substitutable and whose consumption might
be irreversible.
• These issues have given rise to the current global concerns, about how to
balance the needs of the present generation, within the context of
present day knowledge, so as to preserve the environment and its
resources in order to meet the needs of future generations. Thus it
behooves on the present generation to take all the necessary steps to
preserve the environment when it comes to providing for their household
needs, industrial development and growth projects, agricultural and agroprocessing programmes, social mobility and efficient use of the human
capital
• It is no gainsaying that, sustainable development has direct relationship
with sound environmental practices. Due to the survivability instinct of all
living things, the human race tends to move to areas where the
environment can support the provision of their basic needs and by
extension, sustain socio-economic development and growth.
INTRODUCTION
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It is abundantly clear that due to bad socio-cultural practices the environment, water bodies
including the maritime environment been badly abused. The level of the pollution of some of the
water resources is to the extent that they no longer support life. As a result of these negative
human activities, the desert is also gradually creeping south wards. Through such poor
environments practices there has been complete in balance in the eco-system. The situation is not
any different in the maritime environment. We have been witnessing dwindling stock of marine
based fishes. The Gas and other coastal fisher men can attest to this.
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When it comes to local energy requirements, the least said about it the better. The citizenry
continue to harvest fire wood for cooking and for other social activities including some festivals.
The indiscriminate cutting of the forest for such social activities and commercial logging by the
logging companies need to be managed in a more efficient and effective manner else the country is
likely to lose its forest cover by 2050.
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Enforcing the policy guidelines and legislative instruments on the use of renewable energy in the
country will help reverse this poor state of affairs. Also there is the need to enforce the laws and
regulations on protection of water bodies. Safeguarding the policies of biodiversity will go a long
way to uphold the principles of conservation of nature through good environmental practices.
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In Ghana, a number of policies which seek to advocate social intervention so as to develop the
requisite human and social capital, to ensure sustainable development and growth hinging on good
environmental practices have been enacted. However the commitment to implement these policies
and developmental programmes by Government functionaries has been the greatest challenge in
the country .
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The challenges emanating from the inability to effectively implement these policies and
developmental programmes have led to retarded national development agenda. This seems to lead
to an emerging threat to social and human security challenges in the country. Therefore there is the
need to seek immediate remedy to the emerging threat so as to preserve the unity and the
associated relative peace, harmony and social cohesion which the country is enjoying.
AIM
• To analyse the extent of sustainable
development emanating from good
environmental practices to facilitate socioeconomic development in Ghana.
SCOPE
• A brief overview of sustainable development in Ghana
• Analysis of best environmental practices in Ghana:
• Brief over view of Socio – economic development in Ghana.
• Proposals to facilitate socio-economic development in Ghana
• Conclusion
• Recommendation
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN
GHANA
• The country still experiences food insecurity, lack of access to
modern emergency services and basic social amenities,
degraded environment including our water bodies and poor
waste management policies. Also there is inadequate and
unstable energy supply as well as new and emerging challenges
of climate change, land and environmental degradation, loss of
biodiversity and water storage which in the long run, jeopardise
prospects for long-term growth and sustainable livelihoods.
• Environmental Practices in the country leaves much to be
desired. Due to this poor environmental practices as a result of
current human activities emanating from lack of concern for the
environment, most of the water bodies in the country have been
polluted. Their very existence has been threatened by human
activities. Rivers like the Odaw, in Greater Accra Region, Densu in
the Eastern Region and Wewe in Ashanti Region Kumasi are
some few examples that will be sited here
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
IN GHANA
• The greatest challenge to sustainable development in Ghana is
environmental degradation due to over-exploitation of the country’s
forests, wildlife and fisheries. In addition, poor socio-cultural practices
have left most of our water bodies polluted and near extinction. It is
sad to not that most no longer sustain aquatic life Also, it is worth
noting that, though the country has registered significant reduction of
overall levels of poverty, especially in southern Ghana, the same
cannot be said of the situation in the northern part of the country.
Medium-Term National Development Policy Framework: Ghana Shared
Growth and Development Agenda (GSGDA), 2010-2013. Chapter 4.2.
• Ghana is one of the countries in the third world that is endowed with
vast natural resources including off-shore oil deposits and human
capital. However, it is unfortunate that despite these high reserves of
natural resources and human capital, the country continues to wallow
in poverty, plagued with preventable diseases and grabbling with
inconsistencies in educational and health policies. All these challenges
are compounded by corruption in high places within the Public and
Civil Services and bad corporate and democratic governance practices.
A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
IN GHANA
• Since the 4th Republic, successive governments had embarked on a
number of poverty alleviation programmes, social exclusion interventions
and actions to curb rural-urban migrations as well as educational reform
programmes. Some of these programmes are GPRS, GPRS I and GPRS II as
well as LESDEP, LEAP, MASLOC, ICT4AD.
• However poor policy implementation practices coupled bad governance
and endemic corruption among public officials has led to the country still
wallowing in poverty, plagued with preventable diseases and saddled with
high illiteracy rate among the populace. This unfortunate state of affairs
has given rise to high incidences of rural–urban migration in Ghana with
its attendant socio-economic challenges.
• Way forward for Sustainable development is to facilitate socio-economic
development in Ghana. – Legislature – enact laws, formulate Policies and
institute programmes. Review enforcement regimes and commitment
towards implementation. How selected development leads to rural urban
migration and its associated social vice. Sustainable development is
normally assessed by reference to parallel progress in its “three pillars” economic growth, human development and environmental protection.
ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES IN GHANA
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A best practice is a technique or methodology that, through experience and
research, has proven to reliably lead to a desired result. A commitment to using
the best practices in any field is a commitment to using all the knowledge and
technology at one's disposal to ensure success.
Examples of areas of consideration are:
-provision of information and education to the public, to users and to producers
about the environmental consequences of choice of particular activities and
choice of products, their use and ultimate disposal;
-the development and application of Codes of Good Environmental Practice which
covers all aspects of the activity in the product's life;
-availability of collection and disposal systems;
-saving of resources, including energy;
-recycling, recovery, re-use;
-avoiding the use of hazardous substances and products and the generation of
hazardous waste;
-application of economic instruments to activities, products or groups of products;
-a system of licensing which involves a range of restrictions or a ban.
In determining what combination of measures constitute best environmental
practice, in general or individual cases, particular consideration should be given to:
-environmental hazard of the product, its production, its use and ultimate disposal;
-substitution by less polluting activities or substances;
ANALYSIS OF ENVIRONMENTAL PRACTICES IN GHANA
• These principles describe farming that uses available technology optimally
to promote agricultural productivity of safe and healthy food, to achieve
economic viability and agricultural, environmental sustainability and social
responsibility, although this last dimension remains somewhat
insufficiently addressed in the framework. The underlying process is one
of knowing, understanding, planning, measuring, recording, and of
managing in order to identify social, environmental and economic aspects
of production goals and monitor related impacts. This requires a sound
and comprehensive
• farming strategy and the capability for responsive tactical adjustments as
circumstances change.
• Success depends upon developing the skill and knowledge bases, on
continuous recording and
• analysis of performance, and the use of expert advice as required.
• Need to review our environmental practices in the following areas:
• Soil management and agronomical practices.
• Crop production and crop protection
• Animal health and animal welfare.
• Harvesting and On farm processing and storage.
• Energy and waste management.
• Wild life and landscape.
• Human welfare , health and safety
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PROPOSED REMEDIES
Unemployment in the rural areas.
Provision of basic social amenities in rural
areas.
Access to credit facilities for entrepreneurs in
both rural and urban centres.
Improvement in the quality of education.
Upgrading rural and cottage industries.
Upgrade of farming techniques.
Provision of ICT facilities in accordance with
the ICT4AD policy frame work
Mentorship.
CONCLUSION
• Comprehensive National Development Plan
akin to the Kwame Nkrumah 7 Years
Development Plan.
• Action should be taken to curb rural urban
migration.
• The Decentralisation Policy must be
implemented in earnest.
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Efforts should be made to implement policies,
regulations and laws enacted in the interest of
National Sustainability Development.
• National development plans should be
implemented irrespective of Government in power
• The emerging threats to social and human security
challenges must be managed in a more effective
and efficient manner by the Security Agencies.
• A National Investment Bank must be set up to
support entrepreneurs.