Date: March 23, 2017
Venue: Accra, Ghana
Language: English
Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in collaboration with Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development, MLGRD (local host & partner) is organising one day policy workshop on “Faecal Sludge Management and Decentralised Wastewater Treatment”.
Ghana being CSE’s deep drive country, an MoU has been signed between MLG&D and CSE in the area of Sustainable water management. Under this mandate, a training programme was organized on ‘Decentralised Wastewater Treatment including local reuse at Accra, Ghana (March 14th – 16th, 2016).
The country has experienced substantial increase in the level of urbanization since 1984. However, the population of Ghana continues to be predominantly rural. In Ghana sanitation refers to a wider context that covers feacal sludge management, wastewater management, solid waste management and storm water drainage etc. According to 2000 Housing and Population Census, about 31% of households rely on public toilets mainly WCs, KVIPs and Aqua Privies, while 22% have access to pit latrines of varied level of improvements. About 7% of households use KVIPs and 9% have access to flush toilets (water closets connected to cesspits and septic tanks mostly without drain fields). The use of unhygienic and health-threatening pan (or bucket) latrines still exist accounting for about 4% of household usage, especially in government quarters.
The national average for sewerage coverage is as low as 4.5%. The treatment of wastewater in all regions of Ghana is inadequate. The overflow of septage from septic tanks into drains and water courses further pollutes the immediate environment, with the result that most drains meant for stormwater and sullage conveyance are effectively serving as “open sewers”. It is reported that out of 44 sewage treatment plans (including 7 Faecal Sludge and Septage Treatment Plants, FSTPs) treatment facilities only 7 are functioning adequately. The overflow of septage from septic tanks into drains and water courses further pollutes the immediate environment, with the result that most open drains meant for storm water and sullage conveyance are effectively “open sewers”.
In order to address the sanitation problem in a country like Ghana, there is an urgent need to develop alternate faecal sludge and wastewater management approaches. The workshop will highlight these issues and showcase solutions practiced in other countries to overcome the problem.
Aim
Develop South-South network of the regulators/practitioners in the area of Sanitation.
Thematic Focus and Objectives:
Knowledge sharing on the impact of inadequate sanitation on public health and environment in Ghana
Strengthen knowledge for implementing sustainable wastewater management
Highlighting the need for paradigm shift from sewerage to city wide sanitation
Knowledge sharing of best management practices from Asia and Africa, in the area of faecal sludge management and wastewater treatment
Target Participants
The policy workshop is aimed at policy makers, government and non-government stakeholders from the sector.
Contact for more information
Workshop coordinators:
Mahreen Matto
mahreen@cseindia.org,
Chhavi Sharda
chhavi@cseindia.org
Programme Director:
Suresh Kumar Rohilla
srohilla@cseindia.org
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