World Bank to help Ghana fight e-waste hazards

The World Bank is aiming to help Ghana fight hazardous environmental consequences of e-waste burning, especially at the Agbogbloshie slum area.

The place has been identified as the most toxic e-waste dumpsite in the world.

A lot of local artisans, who scavenge for copper wares at the slum, dismember e-waste through burning.

They expose themselves to health hazards as well as pollute the environment in the process.

The Bank’s Sector Leader for Sustainable Development Zoubida Allaoua says the negative impact of pollutants on the economy of developing countries could be mitigated through the use of technologies.

Agbogbloshie, is located in the Central Business District of Ghana’s capital, Accra. It has a population of about 40,000. It is seen as the second largest e-waste processing area in West Africa.

E-waste refers to a range of electronics, including refrigerators, microwaves, computers, televisions among others.

Ghana annually imports around 215,000 tons of secondhand consumer electronics from abroad, primarily from Western Europe, and generates another 129,000 tons of e-waste every year.

Assuming growth continues in a linear manner, Ghana’s e-waste imports will double by 2020.