The first National Environmental Sanitation Conference (NESCON) took place in Kumasi from December 8 – 10, 2010 in Kumasi, Ashanti Region. The Theme for the conference was “building partnerships for scaling up improved environmental sanitation services’.

 The conference focused on the larger view of environmental sanitation to bring attention to all the issues of raising awareness for behavior change towards all manner of wastes, better management of filth and environmental health that will lead to a better quality of life in line with Government of Ghana’s “Better Ghana Agenda”.  The conference presented, among others, highlights of the Environmental Sanitation Policy (Revised 2010), the National Environmental Sanitation Strategy and Action Plan (NESSAP) and the Strategic Environmental Sanitation Investment Plan (SESIP) and District Environmental Sanitation Strategy and Action Plans (DESSAPs).

 NESCON 2010 provided a platform for learning and sharing among sector stakeholders, including ministers and Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs), legal experts, academics, sector practitioners, private operators, bankers, insurers, NGOs, development partners, behavioural change communicators, etc. Exhibitions were mounted by MMDAs, educational institutions, NGOs, and the WASH Resource Centre Network (RCN). 

 This first annual conference was organized by the Environmental Health and Sanitation Directorate (EHSD) of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD) in partnership with Development Partners (DPs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), Private Operators and sector collaborators.

For all NESCON 2010 presentations and conference communique visit the sector website, http://www.ghana.watsan.net/page/961 

Source: Abu Wumbei/RCN Secretariat