Residents’ Awareness and Attitude Towards Urban Wetlands in Accra, Ghana: Implications for Sustainable Urban Development

Abstract

The paper assesses the awareness and attitudes of residents on the value of urban wetlands and existing policies and regulations on wetland protection. Using the Densu Delta and Sakumo Ramsar sites in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area of Ghana as a study area, data was collected through field observation, a survey of household heads, and key informant interviews with wetland managers. The findings revealed that although none of the surveyed residents knew about wetland benefits such as water purification and ground water recharge and discharge, most of them were aware of other benefits such as serving as sources of livelihood, water for domestic and agricultural use, habitats for wildlife, and flood control. They also demonstrated positive attitudes towards wetland protection. However, their awareness and positive attitudes did not necessarily translate into environmentally-responsible behaviour that would promote sustainable development. This was evident in the rampancy of undesirable human activities that had degraded the wetlands, which was partly attributed to ineffective governance and poor enforcement of wetland protection measures. Therefore, there is the need to strengthen the governance dimension of sustainability through the enforcement of existing wetland protection measures, fostering closer engagements with local communities and sensitising residents on the collective benefits of personal-level pro-environmental behaviour. There is also the need to sensitise the political class and resource the administrative set-ups of municipal authorities and other relevant state agencies towards pro- environmental policymaking and implementation.