Respect environment to develop
In the comfort of my house - in Italy - I read about beautiful beaches in Ghana and I dreamt with my eyes opened, imagining myself lying at the beach and sipping fresh coconut milk.
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To my disappointment, all my dreams were shattered at the sight of the Ada Foah Beach, the Tawala Beach in the Greater Accra Region and some other popular beaches at Cape Coast in the Central Region. These beaches are just appalling. The coast is literally a dumping site: debris, electronic waste, bin bags, water sachets, human faeces, not to mention animals such as goats and fowls roaming these places.
As soon as I set my foot on the sand, I had no option but to take precaution to avoid stepping on any kind of rubbish. My head was down and my eyes were glued to the sand, closely watching every step I took. When I reached the ocean, tears came to my eyes. I was able to finally lift my head and look straight at it. In front of me was a massive wave carrying a lot of garbage. I nearly threw up.
I immediately thought: “How can you do that to yourself?” Wherever I walk, I see piles of rubbish. I see litter heaped on the sides of streets, and to make matters worse, I see people urinating in the open; acting without any remorse.
In developed countries such as Italy, where I come from, beaches are one of the most amazing tourist attraction sites. Millions of euros are generated from them annually to support the development of the country.
But looking at the situation in Ghana, it is evident that the government is making nothing out of these amazing tourists’ locations. The indigenes of these incredible sites have become agents of destruction, while the state institutions look on without doing anything. But if you asked me, I would say that all is not lost yet. Ghana can still make a lot out of these sites if proper measures are put in place.
First and foremost, the people must change their attitude towards the environment. They must recognise that destroying the environment would not only bring them poverty, but prevent foreigners from visiting Ghana.
Secondly, state institutions, including the Ministry of Environment, must ensure that the laws on sanitation are enforced. While people must be made to face the law when they break them, other measures such as waste bins and toilet facilities should be provided.
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Open your eyes Ghanaians, you don’t need to be a developed country to take care of yourself and your own people; instead, it takes only a bit of respect for yourself and your country of which you are so proud to belong to.
choppy2003@libero.it