The World Bank supports solid waste management in West Africa

The lack of a proper waste management and the uncontrolled dumping in water channels can lead to them ending up in open drains, watercourses, streams, or inadequate landfills. These increase the risk of serious flooding problems, and therefore can have a negative impact on people's health.

This is what happened in 2015 in the Greater Accra region of the Republic of Ghana. The severe flooding in the Odaw River basin damaged infrastructure and other facilities, making it necessary to dredge the riverbed.

Limited infrastructure for collection, segregation, and recycling, along with insufficient disposal capacity and inadequate enforcement of relevant regulations, coupled with a lack of community awareness, were some of the causes that led to this situation.

With the aim of reducing the risk of floods and improving solid waste management in the area, the Government of Ghana signed a financing agreement with The World Bank to implement the Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project (GARID). This is a partnership supported by The World Bank and managed by the Ministry of Works and Housing (MWH) of the Government of Ghana, of which Tema and Litoclean are part.

The project tasks - carried out through a joint venture made up of the Center for Environment and Health Research and Training (CEHRT), Holix Consult Limited and Tema Litoclean Group-, focus on the management and transportation of dredged material and take into account its resilience to climate, as well as flood mitigation measures.

Project objectives include the assessment of potential impacts and risks in the transport of dredged materials and the dismantling of the handling sites. In addition, recommendations of feasible and cost-effective measures to mitigate potential adverse environmental and social impacts are incorporated, as well as an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP).

Alliances for Sustainability

The Greater Accra Resilient and Integrated Development Project aligns with UN SDG 17: Partnership for the Goals.

International support plays a crucial role in programs aiming to strengthen skills in these countries through North-South and South-South cooperation. Such collaborations focus on promoting advances in science, technology, and innovation, facilitating access to them, and encouraging the exchange of knowledge for the benefit of all parties involved.

As Marçal Bosch, director of Litoclean, who was part of the delegation to Ghana, emphasizes, it is vital to promote the creation of partnerships both in the public and public-private spheres, as well as civil society, as they are essential to mobilize and to enhance the knowledge exchange and technical capacity. Bosch summarizes with enthusiasm: "These kinds of projects add immense learning experiences; they are highly positive."