Three Ghanaians to provide scientific solution to Ghana’s environmental challenge

In a bid to eradicate environmental problems in Ghana, three Ghanaians have commenced research exploring scientific ways to end the scourge that has claimed many lives in Ghana in the form of malaria, typhoid among others.

According to a video report by Deutsche Welle, these Ghanaians are going to be researching Ghana’s environmental problems such as water pollution and proffering solutions to them.

Kofi Sarpong Adu-Manu is a Computer Science Doctoral student while Lloyd Larbi and Edward Koomson are Environmental Science Doctoral students.

The three are currently running a Doctorate program in Oldenburg- Northern Germany - on scholarship. In the interview, they are excited about the opportunity the scholarship has given them to also have a first-hand experience on how Germany is promoting recycling and able to sustain it.

The cost of environmental degradation

According to the Director of United Nations University - Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA) Accra, Dr Elias Ayuk, Ghana is losing close to 12 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to environmental degradation and also rapid degradation of both renewable and non-renewable natural resources.

Mr Ebenezer Ampa Sarpong, Director in charge of Programming, Planning and Monitoring Evaluation at Environmental Protection Agency in 2013 stated that: "In Ghana, 87 percent of the population rely on wood fuel which leads to 5,600 premature deaths each year. It also accounts for about 2.2 percent of Ghana national disease burden,” he submitted.