The impact of dust on Ghana and African nations

The physical, social and economic impact of atmospheric dust and dirt can have an estimated $10 billion impact on a small nation like Ghana.

In a 12 year study since I personally moved partially to my house of East Legon suburb of Accra, I have had a chance to travel and interact quite a lot in many parts of Ghana after a few decades in the US. The first thing that strikes any man entering Ghana, Nigeria, Egypt or many African countries is the land: the soil exposure of our land mass to dust, filth and the open sewage system! It is so disgusting that as kids we used to joke, as also many have tried to cover it up by suggesting that "African germs are not cruel". There is absolutely no excuse for Africans having depleted forest reserves and unable to plant green grass and trees! No way!

The scientific fact is also that atmospheric dust carries particles that transmit germs and bacteria that contaminate food, destroy electronic devices such as cell phones, cameras, air condition units, vehicles, appliances, as well as our buildings; and they give us a bad image and first impression to any visitor!

Open water contamination and mosquito-borne diseases alone has been estimated to cause the death of more than 100,000 per year in Ghana and the under-5 mortality rate of children was estimated as 97 per 1,000 births by the UN and World Bank Human Development indices.

Whiles we do not try to put national figures together for funerals and cost of burying the dead for economic purposes, Ghanaians spend an average $5,000 to $10,000 for a modest funeral to bury the dead. Simple hand calculation shows a nation that could build an economy and save $250 to $500 million per year if we could even prevent half of these untimely deaths.

The cost of repairs of appliances and vehicles caused by dust and corrosion due to high temperature and humidity can also be estimated

if we study repair costs for say 500,000 vehicles, 100,000 and air condition units, damaged cell phones and appliances. Basic engineering cost estimates show Ghana is losing in excess of $3,000 million or $3 billion that could have been saved if we invested and had a relatively cleaner atmosphere.

As a man who made a living as Reliability and Failure Analysis engineer and manager in America, sometimes tears fill my eyes as I enter Ghana and see huge investment in appliances and vehicles that are not functioning for lack of maintenance and/or repair solutions.

Keeping the atmosphere clean does not really cost much from government. Actually an executive order or parliamentary law to make lawn grass mandatory around every building plot in Ghana and school parks would not need any help from the government itself save perhaps CSIR releasing any research information on different varieties of grass and lawn seeds that survive well in Ghana. Private enterprise will take care of the rest. Rwanda and some African nations are making a difference to Africa's outside perception and image. Ghana definitely can do even better!

We can create hundreds of thousands of Jobs also as private landscape architects and workers enter the field. I am making this appeal to His Excellency the President to please do these things before he leaves office:

1. Issue an executive order to have all buildings and school or public parks have lawn grass!

2. Issue an executive order *ban open gutters*, and for every town and city to develop an underground sewage system. And to finance these local projects,

3. Help support the push for an amendment to the constitution to have all towns and districts and regions be mostly financially responsible for themselves, except in national defense, and allow them to elect their own town, district

regional councils and chief executive officers (Mayors, DCE, MCE, Regional Governors) as done in such places as the US or Nigeria.

And please,

4. Don't forget to complete the nice work you started to have the house and building numbering system (aka Property Identification) completed to add to the street names!

Sincerely yours in the name of Ghana,

Dr. Kwaku A. Danso, PhD

Livermore, California & East Legon-Accra, Ghana