The Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet) says open burning of waste in communities is compounding warm conditions being experienced nationwide.
It has, therefore, cautioned the public against the practice.
Mr Eric Asuman, the Acting Director General of GMet, told the Ghana News Agency (GNA) that the continuous open burning of waste produced smoke, which compounded the already high temperatures being experienced.
He noted that open burning also released tiny particles, which studies had proven harmful when inhaled.
‘The particles can get into the bloodstream when gasp, impairing its function as well as that of other organs. This is making people sick and killing many. It is a cost to the economy, and we must act,’ he said.
Open burning of waste, he explained, was a source of black carbon that contributed to the changing weather patterns resulting in increased temperature, irregular rainfall pattern, sea rise and dry spells.
The Environmental Protection Agency has observed an upsurge in the activities of op
en burning of waste nationwide, especially in urban areas.
Experts have said that uncontrolled dumping and open burning of waste are the main methods available to many African cities where it is estimated that up to 90 per cent of waste is openly dumped, and often burned.
More than two billion people worldwide have no access to proper waste management and suffer significant morbidity from waste that is openly dumped or burned.
Professor Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Vice-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group I, for the seventh assessment cycle, told the GNA that open burning of waste aside its contribution to climate change, had serious short-, medium- and long-term health effects on people.
Air pollution, she noted, was the second highest health risk factor for death and disability, after malnutrition and that young children and adults over 50 were most at risk of disease and premature death.
‘Although people may perceive it as small, in the climate system there is nothin
g small because it can cause a big change. It is just not good practice,’ she said.
The climate system, Prof. Klutse said, was a shared space hence the need for everyone to contribute towards protecting it.
‘…while advising the public to stop open burning of waste, we need creative people to innovate ways waste can be disposed. Funds should be made available to upscale existing technologies,’ she added.
Ms Florence Kuukyi, the Public Health Director of the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA), reiterated that open burning was unlawful and also urged people to desist from such activities.
She stated that the Assembly had begun a two-month intensive sensitisation for groups at air pollution hotspots on the dangers of open burning under the Breath Accra Project -a community-driven initiative aimed at improving air quality in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area.
‘We are educating groups like the market women and driver unions. The AMA sanitation court will be ready in a few months so once that is done enforceme
nt will commence.’
Source: Ghana News Agency