Towards Sustainable Solid Waste Management in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area: Beyond the Policies and Legislations

Abstract

The Kumasi Metropolitan Area (KMA) is the second largest metropolitan area in Ghana after Accra. Its strategic location has been responsible for the phenomenal increase in its population and the volume of solid waste generated from production and consumption activities. The solid waste generated is dumped indiscriminately in the streets and in drains, contributing to flooding and the spread of diseases. The enormity of this problem has led to the enactment of various legislations to rescue the situation. However these legislations prescribing the framework for managing solid
waste have not achieved the desired results. The objective of this paper is to examine the failures of KMA in solid waste management in the midst of existing legislations. The research used both primary and secondary sources of data. Using mainly purposive and simple random sampling
techniques, the results show that there is very little public education and non enforcement of the bye-laws on the part of officialdom. The paper concludes that until these neglected laws are enforced, sustainable solid waste management will be a mirage.

Key words: Legislation, Solid Waste, Dumpsite