Speech Delivered by the Deputy Minister for  Local Government, Rural Development & Environment at the Third National Noise Awareness Day on 16^th April 2008

Mr. Chairman

Representatives of Ministry Of Health

Representatives of Ghana Police Service

Executive Director, EPA

Representatives of religious organizations

Representatives of MUSIGA

Members of the media

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen,

Let me use this opportunity to congratulate each one of you and especially the EPA for your presence here as voices against noise pollution in our dear nation.

Excessive noise in the urban environment is gradually becoming a way of life and a culture of lawlessness which must be curbed by all.

On daily basis and especially weekends, law abiding citizens and regulatory authorities are overwhelmed by noise from the inner cities and suburbs which take a toll on our health, peace and convenience.

As we mark the third National Noise Awareness Day on the theme “Noise Reduction: Our Collective Responsibility”, it is important for all stakeholders to get involved in the campaign to reduce noise since noise reduction is our collective responsibility. Indications from the complaints desk of the EPA shows an escalation of the noise nuisance in suburbs of the Accra Metropolis, and out of the total of 78 complaints received in 2007, 40% was on noise alone.

As environmental regulators, we are aware of the dangers posed by prolonged exposure to noise which is supported by literature from the medical community. Some of the damaging effects include hearing loss, faster heart beat, blood pressure, muscle tensions, migraine headaches and high cholesterol levels. Others are gastric ulcers, irritation, insomnia and psychological disorders including increased aggression. Excessive noise can really cause one to make mistakes on a job.

It is interesting to note that major sources of noise pollution in our communities stem from human activities. These include religious activities of churches and mosques, social activities like funerals, naming ceremonies and group partying. The others are from the activities of night clubs, drinking bars and restaurants that play live band music. Industrial activities like block moulding, corn milling and household generators are all sources of noise identified. A recent disturbing phenomenon is the activities of VCD and DVD vendors who move about the cities in vehicles mounted with loudspeakers selling their music.

As major stakeholders in the protection of the environment, the Environmental Protection Agency of the Ministry of Local Government Rural Development and Environment has developed ambient noise level guidelines in conformity with World Health Organisation standards.

In-line with the EPA’s mandate, it undertakes routine noise monitoring in the Accra – Tema metropolis and cities-towns in the regions, the Agency has also produced some environmental education and awareness creation materials on noise for schools and civil society groups as a way of sensitizing the public to be aware of the dangers of noise exposure to human health.

In May 1997, the Agency held a capacity building workshop for selected District Assemblies to bring together stakeholders to collectively combat the noise menace. The Agency was part of a stakeholder task force formed in 1999 to educate, monitor and enforce noise regulations in the Accra Metropolis on whose work we are building today.

In 2007, the Agency educated 80 pastors from the Presbyterian Church of Ghana on noise abatement as its social responsibility to the church. The Agency is ready to build capacity for other churches to contribute their quota to reduce noise in Ghana.

Considering the enormous toll that noise takes on human health and convenience, the Agency in 2006 acquired noise meters for all its regional offices nation-wide for noise measurements and data collection. A noise mapping programme has been initiated in the Accra metropolis to help identify noise hot spots within the city. This programme will enable the Agency focus on areas for its education and awareness effort to reduce noise considerably in the metropolis.

As we mark the third National Noise Awareness Day, ladies and gentlemen I want to reiterate the theme Noise Reduction: Our Collective Responsibility and appeal to every one of us to consider noise reduction as a poverty alleviation strategy. If we succeed in this campaign, we shall witness considerably improvement in our environment and save ourselves from noise pollution and its attendant health problems.

Ladies and Gentlemen, permit me to use this august occasion to appeal to the District Assemblies and the Police Service to help reduce noise during festive seasons since they work 24 hours around the clock and especially weekends when the peace is likely to be breached.

I also appeal to community leaders and traditional authorities to step up efforts at sensitizing their people on the negative effects of noise since their youth and aged are the most vulnerable.

As a preventive measure we encourage all and sundry especially the media to be part of this noise reduction effort by creating a platform for a nationwide discussion on the subject to reflect the theme: “Noise Reduction, Our Collective Responsibility.”

At this juncture we need to collectively adopt this common slogan, “we are voices against noise pollution”. On this note I declare the Third National Noise Awareness Day duly launched.

Thank you.