Managing air quality and greenhouse gases

Global concern for climate change has led to a number of local actions to improve air quality and reduce greenhouse gases. Although issues of air quality have been a problem recognised for several centuries, it has in recent times become an issue of global concern because of its being a stimulant for climate change. Though its cause remains debatable, climate change may not have to be delinked from human influence altogether considering the balance of available evidence.

Considering the likelihood of climate change in impacting many aspects of life and sustainability, including the environment, businesses, and finances, Port Authorities have also had to commit themselves to reducing the impacts of their activities on air quality. Whilst European ports are driven by stringent European Union (EU) regulations and other directives set in context with strategies and targets which are measurable to this effect, such drivers are absent for African ports as it is in the case for Port of Tema in Ghana. The dilemma has been that though developing countries as Ghana, contribute less to climate change, they are the most vulnerable. They lack the capacity to undertake adaptive measures to address associated environmental problems and socio-economic costs.

Tema Port – Characteristics

The Port of Tema is the largest and busiest of Ghana’s two ports, handling about 70 percent of Ghana’s total seaborne trade and 35 percent of its exports. The Port is centrally located on the West Africa coastline with the opportunity of providing maritime access and services to its neighbouring landlocked countries; Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali, who use it as a corridor for their exports and imports.

The port is widely recognised as a maritime hub and shipping gateway for West Africa. Major lines, such as Maersk, Hull Blyth, and Messina Shipping use it for transhipment to and from South Africa, Middle East & Asia. It has largest dry dock in Africa, modern container terminal with state of the art equipment, 2000 tonne capacity fruit terminal, modern scanning technology for quick and simple cargo inspection and clearance, and signal services with Automatic Identification System (AIS), and Integrated Vessel Management System (IVMS). It is one of the few African ports with certified adequate Marpol port reception  facility,

With this modernised state of the art cargo handling equipment, Port of Tema’s capacity and service efficiency has been greatly enhanced. This, coupled with its safety and security standards in the subregion, makes it attractive to business and galvanising it into a hub for the sub-region. Cargo throughput has increased steadily over the last decade with the handling of about 555,000 TEU in 2008 compared to 170,000 TEU in 1998. With the conflict in Cote d’Ivoire, the port has become a popular route for transit traffic and has seen dramatic increase in transshipment cargo to and from neighbouring landlocked countries, which before this time mostly used Port of Abidjan.

Air quality problems

The activities of the port nevertheless, like all other commercial ports have implications for air quality. With the growth in the port’s activities, problems of air quality are becoming prominent, requiring immediate action.

Dominant sources of air pollutants (PM, SOX, NOX, CO, CO2, HC, VOCs, O3) in the port are mainly from grain dust, clinker dust, sandblasting from ships plating, foul odour, plant and vehicular emissions, industrial chimney emissions, and ship exhaust emissions. These have respiratory effects and other negative impacts on port users and adjoining communities. Records at the Port Authority hospital in Tema, which basically attends to port workers, indicate high cases of upper respiratory tract infection, especially, tonsillitis and catarrh. The link of these health problems to air pollution has not been established as no studies have been carried out on them.

Air quality management measures

The port acknowledges the importance of improving its air quality and reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the role it has to play in doing so but the legal framework for doing this is lacking. There are no effective monitoring and enforcement of standards. Though Ghana has ratified United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Kyoto Protocol, it has not internalised them through a national legislation. Legislated powers to the Port of Tema could help them deal with “illegal” polluting practices and ensure clean local air quality and reduce greenhouse gases.

It is however not as though in the absence of any air quality and climate change legislation, nothing positive is happening in the Port of Tema regarding air quality. The port understands its obligation to international regulations and recognises that it cannot ignore its environmental responsibility. It is therefore challenged to be proactive and move beyond the conventional practice of waiting for regulations to comply. Through workshops on Environmental Management Systems (EMS) and a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA), the issue of air quality (without reference to climate change) was identified as an issue requiring attention. Though the port has not developed a coherent strategy to address this, it has adopted some air quality initiatives that focus on actions to reduce dominant air pollutants and greenhouse gases. In these initiatives, the port has:

• Adopted a co-management approach in which it jointly tackles and monitors air quality issues among others with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Such actions however, are by far reactive and curative and rather inadequate.

• It has also set up a Port Environmental & Safety Network (PESN). This is to bring in all stakeholders whose activities are likely to impact Port environment and safety. The aim is to identify safety and environmental issues, examine their sources and collaborate in taking steps to tackle them.

• Created car parks and provided shuttle busses for operators and users entering into the port. This is to reduce number of vehicles driving through the port. It does not only ensure safety in the port but also reduces carbon emissions.

• Engaged in tree planting and creating green landscapes. The port has consciously planted a number of trees around the port to serve as carbon sink. It was the venue for the Greater Accra Regional celebration of the 2009 World Environment Day’s celebration, which had the theme “your planet needs you – unite to combat climate change”. The day was celebrated with tree planting all around the globe, and Tema Port used the opportunity to plant more trees along some of its roads.

Management information needed

In the absence of a legislative framework, effective monitoring and enforcement of standards, local measures by the port is not effective in tackling the air pollution problem and reducing greenhouse gases. The port does not have a standard format for collecting data on air quality. Data and information is collected randomly and not consistently, and this is normally dictated by a complaint, or when there is perhaps a project to be implemented. The port also lacks adequate capacity to undertake adaptive measures to address the socio-economic costs, health and environmental problems associated with poor air quality and greenhouse gases. It also has little or no recourse to linkages of air quality and climate change issues with other ports to learn lessons and exchange experiences. The above conditions make it difficult for Port of Tema to make any accurate assessment and trend analysis.

Strategies for Improved Management

 To improve on air quality and greenhouse gases management, Port of Tema will have to:

• Do an assessment of the air quality & greenhouse gas emission status of the port. This would give it a baseline data for informed decision making and effective management.

• I t would have to identify polluters and emission flows

• Strengthen its Port Environmental and Safety Network (PESN) and through that explore forms of governance at local, regional and international levels

• Explore international emissions trading opportunities through Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) with ports in advanced economies

Conclusion

Cooperative efforts are essential for reducing air pollutants and greenhouse gases. Port of Tema, like most other West African ports operate as individual entities with little recourse to linkages of environmental issues amongst them. Addressing climate change issues therefore presents an opportunity for Port of Tema and other West African ports to explore the alternative of environmental cooperation amongst themselves as pertains for European, American and other advanced ports. Port of Tema, like all other West African ports belongs to non-annex one countries under Kyoto protocol and thus has no greenhouse gas emission obligation. A greenhouse gas emission project under an international cooperation between European and African ports could sell carbon credits to annex one countries. This is economically viable because of investment flows and could encourage the ports to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through sustainable development.