Basic 7 · Career Technology · Environmental Health
Causes and Prevention of Poor Environmental Health
In this topic you will analyse the causes of poor environmental health in your community and demonstrate practical measures to prevent it, including proper waste management.
By the end of these notes you should be able to:
- Analyse the causes of poor environmental health in the community
- Demonstrate preventive measures such as sorting and proper disposal of waste
- Plan a sanitation programme for the school
What you already know
- Factors and consequences of environmental health
Copy everything that has a blue line on its left into your notebook. The other parts are for reading.
Lesson 1
- Strand
- Health and Safety
- Sub-strand
- Environmental Health
- Indicator
- B7.1.3.1.1 – Discuss the factors of environmental health
Introduction
Look around your community. Who drops the sachet-water bag on the road? Who builds a kiosk on the drain? Understanding why people pollute the environment is the first step to solving the problem.
1. Human Causes
| Cause | Example |
|---|---|
| indiscriminate dumping of refuse | throwing waste into gutters and empty plots |
| open defecation | lack of toilets in homes and public places |
| poor drainage | drains that are too small, uncovered or blocked |
| burning of refuse | burning plastics and tyres in the open |
| building on waterways | houses built on river paths and drains |
| illegal mining (galamsey) | digging pits and washing gold in rivers |
| bush burning and deforestation | clearing land by fire, cutting trees for charcoal |
| overcrowding | many people living in small rooms in slums |
2. Underlying Reasons
People often pollute because of a lack of knowledge about the dangers, poor attitudes ("it is not my business"), poverty, a shortage of public toilets and refuse bins, and weak enforcement of sanitation by-laws. Fast population growth in towns also puts pressure on drains, toilets and refuse collection.
3. Plastic Waste: A Growing Problem
Ghana produces large amounts of plastic waste each day, much of it from sachet-water bags, bottles and polythene bags. Plastics do not rot; they can remain in the environment for hundreds of years. They block drains, kill animals that eat them and break into tiny pieces that pollute soil and water.
4. Investigating Causes
To investigate environmental problems, observe the area, take notes and photographs, interview residents and record findings in a table. Ask: What is the problem? Where is it? Who causes it? Why does it happen? Accurate investigation helps the community choose the right solution.
Did you know?: Many Ghanaian towns hold National Sanitation Day clean-ups, when residents clean their surroundings together.
5. The Role of Attitudes
Many people know that littering is wrong but still do it because "everyone does it" or because there is no bin nearby. Changing attitudes is therefore as important as building drains. When leaders, teachers and learners set a good example, others begin to copy. A learner who keeps a sachet-water bag in the pocket until a bin is found is showing a positive attitude that can spread to the whole class.
New words
- indiscriminate dumping
- Throwing waste anywhere without care.
- open defecation
- Passing faeces in the open instead of a toilet.
- by-law
- A rule made by a local assembly.
- non-biodegradable
- Unable to rot naturally.
Summary
- Poor environmental health is caused mainly by human activities.
- Lack of knowledge, poor attitudes, poverty and weak enforcement worsen the problem.
- Plastic waste is non-biodegradable and blocks drains.
Class activity: Community Investigation
- Observe one area near your school and identify an environmental health problem.
- Interview two people about its causes.
- Present your findings in a table with "Problem, Cause, Who is responsible".
You need: Used sachet-water bags, Labelled waste bins, Work gloves
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Passing faeces in the open is called…
- A. open defecation
- B. sanitation
- C. recycling
- D. drainage
Show answer
Answer: open defecationIt spreads disease.2. Plastics are a major problem because they are…
- A. non-biodegradable
- B. edible
- C. biodegradable
- D. soluble
Show answer
Answer: non-biodegradableThey do not rot.3. Building on waterways can cause flooding.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueIt blocks water flow.4. A rule made by a local assembly is a ______.
Show answer
Answer: by-lawLocal rule.5. State four human causes of poor environmental health.
Show answer
Answer: Dumping refuse, open defecation, burning refuse, galamsey.Any four.6. Explain how poverty can contribute to poor environmental health.
Show answer
Answer: Poor families may lack toilets and bins and live in crowded areas, so waste is disposed of unsafely.Lack of facilities.
Lesson 2
- Strand
- Health and Safety
- Sub-strand
- Environmental Health
- Indicator
- B7.1.3.1.2 – Demonstrate the preventive measures of environmental health
Introduction
The good news is that most environmental health problems can be prevented. Small actions by individuals, schools and communities add up to a clean and healthy environment.
1. Proper Waste Management
| Method | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| reduce | create less waste | carry a reusable bag or water bottle |
| reuse | use items again | use plastic containers for storage |
| recycle | turn waste into new products | plastic bags woven into bags and mats |
| compost | turn food waste into manure | composting peels for the school garden |
| proper disposal | put remaining waste in bins for collection | labelled bins at school |
2. Sorting Waste
Waste should be sorted at the source into separate bins. A common system uses colours: one bin for plastics, one for paper, one for organic (food) waste and one for general waste. Sorting makes recycling and composting easier and reduces the amount of waste sent to dumps.
3. Other Preventive Measures
- Build and use proper toilets; never practise open defecation.
- Desilt and cover drains; never dump refuse in them.
- Clear bushes and fill or drain stagnant water near homes.
- Sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets.
- Plant trees and avoid bush burning.
- Take part in communal labour and clean-up exercises.
- Educate others through posters, drama and talks.
- Obey and help enforce sanitation by-laws.
4. A School Sanitation Plan
Plan a sanitation timetable
Our school compound gets littered after break time.
- Problem: sachet-water bags and food wrappers after break.
- Solution: labelled bins at the canteen and classrooms.
- Responsibility: each class cleans its zone after break; prefects check.
- Timetable: daily after break; general clean-up every Friday.
- Monitoring: the health club records the cleanest class each week.
Answer: A clear plan with bins, zones, a timetable and monitoring keeps the compound clean.
Safety: Always wear gloves when picking up litter and wash your hands with soap afterwards.
5. Turning Waste into Wealth
Some Ghanaian businesses and groups collect plastic waste and turn it into useful products such as paving blocks, bags, mats and furniture. Organic waste can be composted into manure for farmers. Scrap metal is collected and sold to recycling companies. These activities clean the environment and also create jobs, showing that waste can become a valuable resource when managed well.
New words
- recycle
- To turn waste into new products.
- compost
- Rotted organic matter used as manure.
- communal labour
- Community members working together for the common good.
- desilt
- To remove mud and rubbish from a drain.
Summary
- Reduce, reuse, recycle, compost and dispose of waste properly.
- Sort waste into labelled bins at the source.
- Use toilets, clean drains, plant trees and educate others to prevent poor environmental health.
Class activity: Waste Sorting Practical
- Wearing gloves, collect clean, dry litter from an area approved by the teacher.
- Sort it into labelled bins and explain why each item belongs there.
- Write a sanitation timetable and responsibility plan for your class.
You need: Used sachet-water bags, Labelled waste bins, Work gloves
Exercises
Answer in your exercise book first, then check your answers.
1. Turning waste into new products is called…
- A. recycling
- B. dumping
- C. burning
- D. littering
Show answer
Answer: recyclingMaking new from old.2. Food peels are best managed by…
- A. composting
- B. burning
- C. throwing in drains
- D. burying plastics with them
Show answer
Answer: compostingMakes manure.3. Gloves should be worn when picking up litter.
- A. True
- B. False
Show answer
Answer: TrueTo protect the hands.4. Removing mud and rubbish from a drain is called ______.
Show answer
Answer: desiltingClearing drains.5. Explain the meaning of reduce, reuse and recycle.
Show answer
Answer: Reduce: make less waste; reuse: use items again; recycle: turn waste into new products.The 3Rs.6. Describe a plan to keep your school compound clean.
Show answer
Answer: Provide labelled bins, assign zones to classes, set a daily cleaning timetable and let a club monitor and reward the cleanest class.Plan with roles and monitoring.
Homework
- Sort the waste in your home for three days and record what you reduced, reused or recycled.