National parks
Ghana has 7 national parks, which aim to preserve the country's different biotopes in the face of threats such as the destruction of natural habitats, poaching, agriculture and overgrazing.
- Kakum National Park: located in the south of the country, this park is renowned for its network of suspended bridges ("canopy trail"), at heights of over 50 m, which enable visitors to immerse themselves in the canopy of the tropical rainforest.
- Bui National Park: located in the north-east of the country, this park protects the ecosystems of the Volta Noire valley and its population of hippos, elephants and butterflies. However, the area has been weakened by poaching and the construction of the Bui dam (completed in 2013), which flooded 20% of the park's surface area.
- Digya National Park: located in the east of Ghana, in the Ashanti and Brong-Ahafo regions, the park is home to a remarkable diversity, including a large avifauna, linked in part to the proximity of the Volta River, which borders the park.
- Mole National Park: located in the north-west of Ghana, it preserves Parkia and Karités savannah ecosystems. Its remarkable biodiversity includes flora, butterflies, mammals, amphibians, birds and reptiles. In the face of anthropic pressures (notably poaching, overgrazing and agriculture), projects are being carried out by a local NGO, in conjunction with regional community councils, to raise awareness among local populations and create fair-trade, environmentally-friendly supply chains.
- Bia National Park: located in the south-west of the country, it is classified as a biosphere reserve by UNESCO. It shelters the relics of an ancient forest associated with a remarkable biodiversity.
- Kyabobo National Park: located on the Togolese border, it adjoins the Fazao Malfakassa National Park. The park protects a wide variety of ecosystems: mountains, tropical rainforest, savannah.
- Nini-Suhien National Park: located in the south of the country, included in the Ankasa conservation area, this park is home to significant biodiversity.
Agbobgloshie "the dustbin of the West
The effects of our Western lifestyles, based on (over)consumption, are visible and deleterious as far away as Ghana, which receives some of our electrical and electronic waste (WEEE), burned and dismantled in an open-air landfill in a shantytown on the outskirts of Accra. Agbobgloshie, nicknamed "the dustbin of the West" or "Sodom and Gomorrah", carries the toxic agents of our waste (dioxins, PCBs, halogenated compounds, heavy metals), contaminating air, water, soil and even mother's milk. A study carried out in 2019 revealed dioxin levels exceeding European Union thresholds by more than 200 times. Considered one of the most toxic sites on the planet, the landfill can be seen in the video clip for Life's What You Make It by the band Placebo, who dedicate their song to the landfill workers who handle the waste that has often transited illegally from Western countries. Faced with this situation, we can take action by limiting our purchases to our needs, keeping our materials for as long as possible, and favoring approved channels ("RRR" approach: reduce, repair, recycle).
The ravages of fast-fashion
Around half of our used clothes, after being deposited in dedicated containers, are sent to reconditioning centers, where, after being baled, they are transported by boat to Ghana for resale at the Kantamanto market. The poor-quality garments from these bales are discarded. Some of them end up piled up on the "mountain" (mound of clothes) of the Old Fadama shantytown, before being transported by the wind and rain to Accra's "garbage beach". This polluted environment continues to be inhabited by people living in extreme poverty (the daily production of textile waste is estimated at around 160 tonnes). But the situation is not inevitable. The least polluting waste is the one we don't produce: so we need to rethink our consumption (RRR approach mentioned earlier).
Environmental black spots linked to mining and oil activity
The country's mining activity (gold) has numerous impacts on human health and the environment, leading to the destruction of natural environments and deforestation, as well as pollution (water, soil, air) linked to the metal extraction process, in a context of insufficient or non-compliance with the regulations in force. Ghana's oil industry also emits pollutants, in particular greenhouse gases, with the practice of gas flaring still present in some oil fields.
Facing climate change
Ghana is particularly vulnerable to climate change, which translates into greater frequency and intensity of extreme events, notably droughts and floods, rising sea levels, and its corollaries: declining drinking water resources, reduced electricity production (over 50% of which comes from dams), declining fish stocks and agricultural yields, leading to the risk of food insecurity and disease. Ghana, which has ratified the Paris Climate Agreement, has put in place a strategy and actions (in partnership with NGOs and communities) to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and adapt to climate change: reforestation programs, sustainable agricultural practices (ECONOBIO project: development of fair trade and organic shea, honey and cocoa, organic coconut oil and combo nuts, planting of local species, fight against poaching and illegal deforestation). An original project was born, from a partnership between science and music. Future Climate for Africa is a program that models a century's worth of climate data from the city of Kumasi... transformed into a piece of music, to raise awareness among as many people as possible!
