Accra, Jan. 23, GNA- Vice President Aliu Mahama, expressing concern about the poor management of waste in many communities, on Friday tasked the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to provide technical support to district assemblies in order to manage the situation efficiently. The EPA, he said, should also work toward the integration of environmental issues in policies, programmes and plans at all levels of decision-making.

Vice President Mahama, who said this when he launched activities to mark the 30th Anniversary of the Agency, however, cautioned that these efforts to safeguard the environment would not be fruitful without the active participation of every individual, corporate bodies and communities.

"We need to realise that the future quality of the country's environment depends not only on actions taken by the EPA, but also on the decisions made and actions taken by each of us as individuals and collectively, at both local and national levels," adding, "Protecting the environment should be the responsibility of all."

He said human activities to meet the basic needs of life may impact on the environment, but it was important for individuals to ensure that the negative effects were avoided or minimized.

The Vice President urged the EPA to build the trust of communities in its programmes and activities to ensure effective collaboration. He assured the Agency, with its allied institutions, of the Government's support to facilitate their role in monitoring the environment and implementing preventive and control measures to promote sustainable development.

Vice President Mahama commended EPA for their successes in the past 30 years and encouraged them to be more innovative in their ways to deal with poor sanitation, deforestation, desertification, water and air pollution and other environmental challenges the nation faces. The theme for the celebration is, "30 years of Environmental protection: Managing Waste- Challenges for the Future."

Lectures, tree-planting exercises, fun games, an awards programme and quiz are some of the activities scheduled for the yearlong anniversary.

Okyehene Amoatia Ofori Panin, Chairman of the EPA Board who presided over the ceremony, noted that greed, ignorance and lack of respect and love for nature had contributed to the degradation of the environment.

He, therefore, called on Ghanaians to consider future generations when exploiting the environment for their needs and preserve some of the natural resources for posterity.