Accra, June 14, GNA - An evaluation of the status of the level of marine and coastal degradation has indicated that there has not been any significant reduction in the sources of pollutants over the years in spite of past initiatives aimed at reducing the impact of land-based activities on the marine environment.

Mr Kofi Poku- Edusei, Deputy Minister of Local Government, Rural Development and Environment said the unfortunate trend was partly attributable to increased urbanisation, institutional weaknesses, policy failure and dwindling resources for instituting effective actions. "We are therefore confronted with a myriad of environmental problems such as deplorable domestic sanitation, fisheries degradation, wetland and mangrove degradation and industrial pollution of water resources in the coastal zone," he said.

He was addressing 50 participants from environmental related institutions at a two-day workshop on 'National Consultation on Strategic Action Programme (SAP) and Validation of Draft National Programme of Action' for the protection of the marine environment from land-based activities, in Accra.

Ghana is part of a 16-member country interim commission, making up the Guinea Current Large Marine Ecosystem (GCLME), which is trying to collectively combat land-base activities that affect the marine environment.

The 16 countries of the GCLME, stretching from the coast of Senegal to Angola have prepared a Trans-boundary Diagnostic Analysis (TDA) of the major perceived issues and problems and their root causes. The findings of the TDA are the basis on which the workshop is being held.

Mr. Poku-Edusei said it was evident that the impacts of land-based activities had significantly compromised the capacity of the marine and coastal ecosystem to suppor t sustainable flow of socio-economic and environmental services. "This is resulting in deepening poverty, disease and food insecurity in coastal communities," he said, adding, "this was the basis for the Global Programme of Action (GPA), which has been designed to ensure improved governance of the marine and coastal environments". "We must endeavour to embrace the support and assistance of all stakeholders, especially the private sector, whose inputs in such matters continue to emerge as pivotal to our sustainable development," he said.

He expressed the hope that the participants would make good use of the opportunity provided to look at Ghana's peculiar coastal and marine needs so as to fashion out the appropriate techniques and strategies to address the problems. Mr. Rudolph S. Kuuzegh, National Director, GCLME, said participants would explore the various techniques and strategies to develop a national policy on the SAP that would feed into the Regional Strategic Action Programme. Mr A. K. Armah, Department of Oceanography and Fisheries, University of Ghana who chaired the function said the meeting was long overdue since the problems confronting coastal communities were becoming enormous. 14 June 07