Kumasi, the Ashanti regional capital, is due to get a huge boost thanks to a 2.5 million Euro grant from the European Union to improve sanitation and waste management in the region. The program, named the Holistic Reinforcement for Sustainable Development, is a 30-month project that started on January 1, 2022, and is primarily focused on improving the city’s sanitary problem.
The coordinating partner is the mancomunitat de la Ribera Alta in Spain, the beneficiary is the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) in Ghana, and the third and participating partner is the Chamber of Praia in Cape Verde.
Pilot projects to improve trash management would be established as part of the program, as well as a strategic urban solid waste management plan to be applied throughout the metropolis. The program will also strive to improve the citizenry’s participatory ability in Kumasi by providing the required platforms for residents to debate sustainable development goals, such as public forums. It also targets select change agents in various communities through capacity building fora.
Resolutions from forums and the reinforcement of active participatory spaces will be memorialized as part of the initiative in a strategic document named “Territorial Agreement for Sustainable Development,” which will be forwarded to authorities for action.
Launching the Holistic Reinforcement for Sustainable Development (HORESD) project in Kumasi, the KMA mayor, Samuel Pyne, stated that he believes this initiative will significantly improve the sanitation situation in Kumasi.
“This project is going to improve the sanitation situation. It is important because it is not only looking at the management of waste but turning waste into wealth. That is a baby project that I always wanted to have because of the quantum of waste that we generate, if we are able to turn it into cash, it would be very helpful”.
He added that the project aims at turning waste generated in the metropolis into energy.
“We are going to look at converting the waste into energy”.
Speaking to Citi News, the Ashanti Regional Minister, Simon Osei Mensah, who is worried about the poor sanitation in Kumasi and the region as a whole, assured that he will constantly monitor the project to ensure that it succeeds.
“I will make sure on monthly basis, I will visit the project office and the project site to make sure it is going on smoothly and if there are challenges, I will join them to solve them.”
The Head of the European Union delegation to Ghana, Ambassador Irchad Razaaly said the European Union is supporting this project in Kumasi which would be dealt with the Spanish authorities, Cape Verde’s capital city of Praia in order to exchange best practices and technicalities in terms of waste management and basic services.
Source- Citi newsroom
