Youth group leads clean-up exercise in Ledzokuku

A youth-led environmental advocacy and non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Green Africa Youth Organisation (GAYO), has organised a clean-up exercise in the Ledzokuku Municipality as part of efforts to heighten awareness of the need for a clean environment.

The exercise, held in Teshie, was a follow-up to a community engagement held by the NGO last week to educate the residents in the area on proper waste management as it commemorated the International Zero Waste Day.

It aims to promote environmental sustainability and reduce methane emissions, aligning with GAYO's mission to empower the youth and communities in addressing climate change.

It is also targeted at ensuring that the drains in the municipality are desilted as the rainy season approaches in order to alleviate the annual flooding witnessed in the area during heavy downpour.

The initiative was organised in collaboration with the Ledzokuku Municipal Assembly (LeKMA) and supported by the Global Methane Hub and the Clean Air Fund.

Methane threat

The Project Coordinator of GAYO’s Zero Waste Programme in the Greater Accra Region, Mabel Naa Amorkor Laryea, said the primary objective of the clean-up exercise was to rid Teshie of pollutants and promote a cleaner, healthier environment.

“GAYO sought to not only improve waste management practices but also raise awareness of the importance of environmental conservation,” she said.

She said improper waste disposal has contributed to the emission of harmful gases such as methane into the atmosphere and contributing to the increasing global warming experienced worldwide.

Ms Laryea emphasised that methane emission was very harmful as it is 200 per cent more potent than other greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide which are more spoken about.

She explained that methane could be trapped into the atmosphere for more than a decade before it was released, which could lead to diseases such as kidney failure, heart diseases, skin diseases among others.

She called for intensification of education on methane gas to help alleviate its emission into the atmosphere and its consequent impact on public health and environment.

The LeKMA Environmental Health Officer, Doris Larweh, lauded the initiative by GAYO and commended the Greater Accra Regional Minister for reintroducing the sanitation day in the Region.

She indicated that education needed to be intensified on the dangers of using drains as waste dump sites which ultimately leads to choked gutters and breeding mosquitoes which causes malaria.

The Assembly Member for Teshie Tsuibleoo Electoral Area, Samuel Quarshie Tawiah appealed to residents to take sanitation as a personal responsibility to ensure their environments were always clean.

He urged residents to desist from apportioning blame to government when flood occurs and take responsibility and ensure they do the right things to avoid flooding and its consequent destruction of properties.