Factors Contributing to Environmental Degradation in the Kumasi Metropolis of Ghana

Abstract

The study was conducted to investigate factors contributing to environmental degradation in Kumasi Metropolis.  The study was conducted in the Ashanti Region of Ghana and adopted the descriptive survey design. Simple random sampling with replacement and convenient sampling techniques were adopted to select subjects for the study. A sample size of 282 teachers and health personnel in 10 Senior High Schools (SHS) and four hospitals in the Kumasi Metropolis were used for the study. Three research questions guided the study. A 68-item questionnaire and a five-item interview guide were used for data collection. The findings revealed that the major challenge facing the Kumasi Metropolis was attitudinal which culminated into defecating and dumping of household refuse at unauthorized places. It was recommended that environmental education should form an integral part of the curriculum of the educational system and should be examinable by the West Africa Examination Council.  The activities that are responsible for the degradation of the environment in the study area were: littering, indiscriminate disposal of refuse, defecating at unauthorized places and others should be discouraged. Dustbins should be provided by the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) at vantage points in the city to reduce littering in the metropolis. Media, Churches, Non-Governmental Organizations should intensify their campaign against environmental degradation and its ramifications.