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This collection was curated by the Circle Economy team from Knowledge Hub case studies for businesses, local and national governments around the world to find inspiration in practical examples of the circular economy. 

Visit the <a href="https://circle-economy.com" target="_blank">Circle Economy website</a> for more information and for more publications on the circular economy.

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Circle Economy

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Circular food systems entail that the food is produced regeneratively and, where appropriate, locally. Food and packaging waste are designed out entirely, while healthy, low-impact diets are promoted and easy to access. 

[Circle Economy](https://www.circle-economy.com/) is a not-for-profit organisation working to accelerate the circular transition. Through the *Circularity Gap Reporting Initiative*, our mission is to deliver an annual global Circularity Metric that measures the state of the world economy and identifies key levers to transition to global circularity. With nature as our guide, we work alongside cross-sector stakeholders from academia, businesses, NGOs and governments to provide a powerful combination of practical and scalable interventions that transform circular opportunities into realities. 

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Circular Food

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Limes and lemons - Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash

Policy case

Producing agricultural products and processing them into food and beverageproducts for consumption

Agri/Food

Providing electricity and gas services, including traditional and renewable energy generation, natural and manufactured gas and operating gas networks

Energy Utilities and Independent Power Producers

Utilise waste streams as a source of secondary resources and recover waste for reuse and recycling

Use waste as a resource

Public-private partnerships

Food losses and waste

Circular agriculture

Cycle strategies aim to cycle and reuse materials at their highest value: they maximise the volume of secondary materials re-entering the economy, ultimately minimising the need for virgin material inputs and therefore also narrowing flows. Of course, virgin materials will always be needed to a degree: all materials degrade and can’t be cycled infinitely, use energy, and require blending with virgin materials to maintain strength and functionality.

Cycle

Industries

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A framework of policy instruments that enabled and encourage the transition to the circular economy

Policies

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A framework of policy instruments that enable and stimulate the transition to the circular economy

The principles of a circular economy concern designing out waste, regenerating ecosystems and keeping items in use. Decoupling the economy from material flows—improving the rate of resource productivity faster than the economic growth rate—is also a consistent guide. By evolving with the growing number of applications of circular economy principles, and consolidating these strategies across thematic areas, Circle Economy’s Key Elements Framework (KE) renders the elements of the circular economy salient and serves as a basis to derive contextual strategies and interventions. 


The Framework consists of:
- Core Elements: Activities directly handling product or material flows; and uniquely,
- Enabling Elements: those that remove obstacles for core actors.


Key elements of the circular economy

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Circle Economy's framework of strategies and activities that define the circular economy

In a circular economy:

* Food is produced regeneratively and, where possible, locally; 
* Biomass is optimally used—from agricultural by-products to manure, rainwater or used water; 
* Food losses and waste and packaging waste are designed out entirely; 
* Healthy, planetary diets are promoted and easier to access; and 
* Environmental and economic benefits are balanced with benefits to people and animals.

This definition builds on those of the [Ellen MacArthur Foundation](https://ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/cities-and-circular-economy-for-food), [Wageningen University](https://www.wur.nl/en/Dossiers/file/Circular-agrofood-system.htm), the [Platform for Accelerating the Circular Economy](https://pacecircular.org/sites/default/files/2021-02/circular-economy-action-agenda-food_0.pdf ) (PACE), as well as Circle Economy’s own work in analysing the climate mitigation potential of [circular food interventions](http://circularity-gap.world/2021).

Explore the different themes under this definition below.

Circular food themes

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Explore different themes under the concept of 'circular food'

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Based on the work of [Bocken et al. (2016)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309699661_Product_design_and_business_model_strategies_for_a_circular_economy), the Four Flows Framework serves as a simple framework for managing resource flows in a circular economy by using less (Narrow), using for longer (Slow), using again (Cycle), and using clean, regenerative materials and energy (Regenerate).

These different principles of circular economy can be applied to our socioeconomic metabolism: we can design stocks like buildings, infrastructure, machinery, and vehicles to be rich resource mines for the future, and design manufactured goods and consumables to be cycled and made regenerative. Furthermore, the focus must also centre on getting more value out of fewer materials. Achieving the aims of a circular economy—minimising material use, regenerating the Earth, and preventing material losses—can be done through these four key strategies mentioned above.

Source: Circle Economy. (2023). *[The circularity gap report 2023](https://www.circularity-gap.world/2023)* (p.22). Amsterdam: Circle Economy. 

Four Flows Framework

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          Have you ever thought of how significant your urine can be? Loads! Amsterdam water authorities have reportedly planned to collect urine and utilizing it for phosphate fertilizer. An age-old tradition! The campaign has been called 'Green Urine Campaign'. The campaign also aims to raise awareness of the benefits of recycling urine i.e., Peecycling.
Here is all you should know about the Green Urine campaign and peecycling:As collection site, the campaign uses outdoor urinals in Amsterdam's La Place de la BourseThe tagline on the outdoor urinals reads: "Is our wastewater actually a goldmine?"Urine is being collected by the city's water company, WaternetThe campaign aims to raise awareness about water issues and explore solutions, such as industrial and municipal water reuse. Also, the technology for optimizing the water cycleThe campaign also aims at raising awareness about waste reduction and the prospect of using urine for agricultural use since it contains mineral phosphorusFarmers generally use mined phosphate to fertilize crops and to provide this vital nutrientSince scientists believe that phosphate resources will run out in 50-100 years, converting urine into fertilizer rich in phosphate might produce a new revenue stream for Amsterdam and beyondUrine can be used directly on plants when diluted with water, providing nitrogen, phosphorus and potassiumHowever, using human waste as fertilizer is considered a taboo in many parts of the world.Interested in General Knowledge and Current Affairs? Click here to stay informed and know what is happening around the world with our G.K. and Current Affairs section.To get more updates on Current Affairs, send in your query by mail to education.intoday@gmail.com Click here for IndiaToday.in’s complete coverage of the coronavirus pandemic.         

 
Creating a price incentive for developing countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions was one of the leading principles behind the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). Initially, the CDM reached only low-cost mitigation projects in large industrial facilities. With the development of the Programme of Activities (PoA) the CDM also granted projects at household level access to carbon markets. KfW was one of the institutions which pioneered this concept.
 KfW commissioned Climate Focus to test the Programme of Activities (PoA) concept in its biogas programme in Nepal. Programmes of Activities are about bundling large numbers of emission reducing activities to a scale that they can generate and sell carbon credits.
Programmes of Activities facilitate large scale emission reduction by bundling hundreds, thousands, millions of individual, similar activities that by themselves are too small to apply the costly and time consuming carbon credit certification processes. Programmes of Activities are a recent facility under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol, the world’s main carbon credit scheme. Other schemes such as Joint Implementation, the Voluntary Carbon Standard and the Gold Standard have adopted comparable facilities that allow for massive bundling of emission reduction projects of which location and characteristics are still unknown when the programme is launched. The number of operational programmes is steadily growing and shows the huge potential of bundling through programmes. Programmes of Activities can bring sustainable development to people and places that have hardly benefited from carbon finance before: rural communities, farms or households in developing countries with little or no industry.
The Biogas Sector Partnership in Nepal
The Biogas Sector Partnership (BSP) implements household biogas digesters. The digesters enable households to displace firewood and fossil fuels with biogas from animal waste and human excreta. The generated biogas feeds cook stoves, and replaces the firewood which is usually used for cooking on wood stoves. Since the firewood is sourced from non-renewable sources and contributes to deforestation, its avoided use can be counted as mission reduction under the CDM.
The Biogas Sector Partnership (BSP) is managed by the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC). AEPC is a government entity that executes renewable/alternative energy programs in Nepal. The BSP has a range of sustainable development benefits:

A significant reduction of smoke and fumes from cooking, which improves the living conditions in and around the house.
Reduced deforestation, avoiding loss of biodiversity and soil erosion.
Reduced time spent on fuel collection.
Improved sanitary conditions in and around the house, in particular when connecting the toilet to the digester.
Improved safety (less fire incidents).




Digester design
The technologies used in the PoA are household biogas digesters with a sludge and gas holding capacity between 4 and 10 m3. The programme uses only one design i.e. GGC 2047 model. The biogas digesters are based on a uniform technical design and are manufactured and installed following established technical standards in Nepal. The digester itself is a closed underground container made of brick or concrete. The GGC 2047 biogas digester consists of five parts: the inlet, outlet, digester, dome and the compost pits. The required quantity of dung and water is mixed in the inlet tank and this mix in the form of slurry is allowed to be digested inside the digester. The gas produced in the digester is collected in the dome, called as the gas holder. The digested slurry flows to the outlet tank from the digester through the manhole. The slurry then flows through the overflow opening to the compost pit where it is collected and composted. The gas is supplied to the point of application through a tube.
In the PoA the point of application is a stove. The biogas is extracted from the digester and transported to the stove. The digester has an overpressure which creates a stable flow of gas for use in the cooking stoves.The biogas consumption capacity of each biogas stove is 400 litre/hour. With an estimated methane content of 52%, this gives an annual natural gas capacity of maximum 1.86 kWth per stove.
As project leader for the registration of the Nepalese Biogas Support Programme, Shifting Paradigms gained early practical experience with the PoA concept. This experience was used to assist the UNFCCC with designing and improving the PoA concept.
The programme was registered with the CDM in January 2013. It includes over 140,000 digesters, reducing an estimated 420,000 tCO2/year from avoided deforestation.
Further information: SNV biogas.
Client: KfW, in cooperation with SNV
Partners: (project implemented as staff member of) Climate Focus, Mr. Raju Laudari, Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) Nepal
2008-13 

 Home » Countries » Kenya Kenya was among the first countries in Africa to adopt biogas technology in the early 1950’s. However, uptake remained low until the Kenya Biogas Programme was rolled out in 2010. During Phase 1 (2009- 2013) 11,529 plants were constructed at a target of 11, 690 biogas plants. The Programme adopted a national dissemination approach, away from a defined regions approach prescribed in the Programme Implementation Document (PID).
The implementation period saw a significant expansion in the partnership network with over 160 institutions and organizations from both the private and public sectors collaborating with the programme in the implementation of the various programme components, enhancing the programme’s outreach and service delivery to clients.
Quality management remains a key pillar of the program, 40 supervisors have been engaged to back up the ten biogas technicians to enhance quality control services, alongside deliberate efforts to emphasize quality management in individual Biogas Construction Enterprises (BCEs) and biogas masons operations. To sustain growth of the market, the programme’s marketing strategy is focused more on full biogas benefits with more value attached to the bio-slurry benefits. To further enhance outreach, the programme partners with three implementing partners as a strategy to strengthen both the supply and demand sides of the sector in their respective areas of operation.
Since the programme is based on the development of a commercially viable and market-oriented biogas sector 82 of the 577 trained mason have registered business companies and now operate as business entities – BCEs 240 masons are still working as sole proprietors. The program is facilitating the formation and registration of an Association of Biogas Contractors of Kenya (ABC-K) and Association of Biogas Sector of Kenya (ABSK), whose membership is made up the biogas value chain sector actors to continue steering the biogas sector ahead in Kenya even beyond the programme closure. The program has initiated various credit partnerships with financial institutions, culminating in joint MOUs to finance biogas installation. These institutions include Kenya Women’s Finance Trust (KWFT), Letshego formerly Micro Africa, Taifa Sacco, , among others. The program has also assisted local Sacco’s to access cheap loans from The Rabo Bank Foundation for purposes of on lending to their members. This is to enable as many eligible clients take up biogas technology. During phase one, 21% of all installations were financed through credit facilities, Rural Micro-Finance Institutions MFIs and saving cooperatives accounted 97% of lending with only 3% of the credit being provided for by conventional banks.
Women are reported to account for 78% of borrowers and men 22%. Women lead in the uptake of biogas plants loans, in addition, the number of females trained in operation and maintenance and bioslurry utilization stood at 48%. Use of bioslurry for improved agricultural production has increased due to enhanced training and awareness among women users 

                                       
Domestic biodigesters provide a way for households with livestock to reduce their dependence on polluting firewood and expensive fossil fuels. Cooking on biogas is fast and smokeless, improving family health, especially among women and children. Leftover slurry from the biogas process is an excellent organic fertilizer that improves crop yields – and having more vegetables to sell, provides families with extra income.
The Kenya Biogas Programme provides biodigesters to individual households. The programme was founded by the Africa Biogas Partnership Programme (ABPP), a partnership between the Dutch government, Hivos and SNV Netherlands Development Organization, in support of national programmes in five African countries including Kenya. The overall objective of ABPP is to develop a commercially viable biogas sector that supports the use of domestic biogas as a local, sustainable energy source.
Since the start of the programme in 2009, over 17,000 biodigesters have been built across Kenya; early 2020 88% of them were in operation and use. Entrepreneurship is encouraged and, to date, nearly 100 masons have started their own business entities, helping to build the local economy.
A barrier for some families is the cost to apply the biogas technology, the programme has therefore initiated credit partnerships with financial institutions. Working together with rural micro finance institutions and saving cooperatives, it ensures that biodigester buyers get the most favourable credit terms. Income from carbon credit sales benefits directly biogas users in forms of after-sales support, bioslurry training and other useful services.
Project impacts and benefits (until March 2020):

14,950 smoke-free kitchens
103,440 direct beneficiaries 
365,200 tCO2 reduced 
223,000 ton of wood saved
13,700 productive slurry users
31 private enterprises 
107 full time jobs plus part-time unskilled day labour

             

Kenya

Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Hivos

SNV (Netherlands Development Organization)

Africa Biogas Partnership Programme

The Kenya Biogas Program&nbsp;is a public-private partnership between development partners Hivos, SNV (Netherlands Development Organization) and the Directorate General for International Cooperation (DGIS) of the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Africa Biogas Partnership Programme (ABBP) in Kenya. Its objective was to develop a commercially viable and sustainable domestic bio-digester sector in Kenya, using revenue from the sale of carbon credits to subsidise the programme.[1]&nbsp;For those who own dairy cattle, just two cows can provide sufficient manure for a biogas plant that provides enough gas for cooking.[2]

Kenya Biogas Program: Developing a sustainable, domestic biodigester sector in Kenya

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This collection comes from the <a href="https://www.circle-economy.com/circular-jobs-initiative/" target="_blank">Circular Jobs Initiative</a>, an initiative of Circle Economy.

The workforce is an essential lever for transforming our economy from linear to circular. The Circular Jobs Initiative aims to maximise the employment opportunities offered by the circular economy. It provides practical support and insights to businesses and governments that want to adopt circular strategies that have a positive social impact.The Circular Jobs Initiative works through three focus areas: 

- Upskilling the workforce

- Quality of work

- Inclusive job opportunities 

CJI has defined circular jobs as any occupation that directly involves or indirectly supports one of the strategies of the circular economy. It distinguishes between three types of circular jobs: core, enabling and indirectly circular jobs.

**Core circular jobs** are all jobs that ensure the closure of raw material cycles, including jobs in repair, renewable energy, waste and resource management. 

**‍Enabling circular jobs** are jobs that remove barriers for and enable the acceleration and upscaling of core circular activities, including jobs that arise in leasing, education, design and digital technology. 

**Indirectly circular jobs** are jobs that occur in other sectors that do not play a direct role in furthering the transition to the circular economy but can still adopt circular strategies. They include jobs that provide services to core circular strategies, including jobs in information services, logistics and the public sector.

The Knowledge Hub Collection includes examples of circular jobs, publications, reports, case studies and policies different organisations, governments and businesses are already using to advocate for a person-centred circular economy. 

Visit the <a href="https://www.circle-economy.com/circular-jobs-initiative/" target="_blank">Circular Jobs Initiative</a>

Visit the <a href="http://jobsmonitor.circle-economy.com/" target="_blank">Circular Jobs Monitor</a>

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Circular Jobs Initiative

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Article / Report

Impact on the availability of resources as well as their effect on living organisms, ecosystems, and components of the environment.

Ecological Impact

Impacts on the social fabric of the community and well-being of the individuals and families.

Social Impact

Impacts on the financial condition of a company, as well as the the economicconditions of its stakeholders and on economic systems at local, national, andglobal levels.

Economic Impact

Impact on the quantity or quality of jobs, and shifts in the labour market

Jobs

Contribution to social parity, or impact on social disparity

Equality

Direct and indirect effects that increase revenues or the potential for new revenues, for example from new products, customer segments, partnerships or business models

Revenue Potential

Efficiency gains on operations or transactions either through cultural or technological shifts

Productivity

Impact on the ease of innovation, and facilitating uptake of innovations

Innovation

Scalability

Ensure renewable, reusable, non-toxic resources are utilised as materials and energy in an efficient way

Prioritise regenerative resources

Consider opportunities to create greater value and align incentives that build on the interaction between products and services

Rethink the business model

Account for the systems perspective during the design process, to use the right materials, to design for appropriate lifetime and to design for extended future use

Design for the future

Work together throughout the supply chain, internally within organisations and with the public sector and communities to increase transparency and create joint value

Team up to create joint value

'Inform' increases the overall levels of awareness and builds the necessary skills and knowledge around the circular economy to foster long-term change.

Inform

'Mobilise' sets the direction of and builds momentum towards long-term change, while also determining how this direction is determined and governed.

Mobilise

'Incentivise' sends market signals and support to businesses, citizens and governments to promote certain activities.

Incentivise

 Develop research, structure knowledge, encourage innovation networks and disseminate findings with integrity


Strengthen and advance knowledge

Regenerate strategies phase out hazardous or toxic materials and processes and substitute them with regenerative biomass resources. A circular economy aims to mimic natural cycles—by shifting to more regenerative farming practices, for example—while also maximising the share of circular biomass that enters the economy. Regeneration can happen both at the systems level (by designing regenerative processes) as well as at the product level (by switching synthetic to organic fertilisers, for example).

Regenerate

Impacts

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A partnership project between the European Union (EU), the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) and SNV Netherlands Development Organisation will launch in Accra on 7th May, 2020.The project, “Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana – (GrEEn)”, is a four-year action aimed at creating greater economic and employment opportunities for youth, women and returning migrants by promoting and supporting sustainable, green businesses. The project is implemented under the European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF) for Africa.With trainings and financial support for green businesses such as plastic waste recycling, clean cookstove production and distribution, as well as organic horticulture and compost production, the GrEEn project is expected to promote and support the growth of climate resilient local economies in two regions in Ghana: the Ashanti and Western regions.Ghana’s economic growth has not translated into sufficient productive employment opportunities, particularly for the youth who represent a large part of the population. Faced with the challenge of responding to economic, social and environmental changes, the youth often resort to migration in search of livelihood opportunities.Financed by a total contribution of EUR 20,600,000 from EUTF, SNV and UNCDF, the GrEEn project will use a combination of performance-based grants, access to finance, technical assistance and skills development to promote green and circular economies. Additionally, there will be support for the incubation and acceleration of selected Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) with the potential to green their business models in sectors such as agriculture, energy and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH).In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the project will use a flexible approach to adapt its interventions to the preparedness, response and recovery to COVID-19 through the GrEEn framework.The GrEEn project will work with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and other relevant ministries as well as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).“SNV is delighted to have been awarded this joint programme and looks forward to co-leading it with our partner, UNCDF. We need to find ways of helping youth, women, returning migrants and local communities to get sustainable livelihoods and enhanced skills to access employment and entrepreneurship opportunities,” said Anjo van Toorn, SNV Country Director in Ghana.Ms. Maria Perdomo, UNCDF’s Youth Finance Global Manager noted, “Our objective is to ensure that we are leveraging our expertise in local development finance and financial inclusion for women and youth in Ghana, strengthening government systems and markets in a sustained manner. By partnering with SNV, we will truly deploy an integrated approach that enables more people to benefit from increased economic opportunities within their local communities.”“Migration should always be a choice, not a necessity. Thanks to the GrEEn project which supports livelihoods and green/circular economy, lots of young people will finally have the choice” said Diana Acconcia, European Union Ambassador to Ghana.Share:   

GrEEn is funded under the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF), which European and African partners set up in 2015 to deliver an integrated and coordinated response to irregular migration, forced displacement and diverse causes of instability, including climate change. GrEEn contributes to addressing the root causes of irregular migration by supporting sustainable and climate resilient local economies, green jobs, and development in departure, transit, and return regions. GrEEn is implemented in coordination with the Ghanaian Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (and other relevant ministries) alongside the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies of the two focal regions. Furthermore, SNV is working with a wide variety of partners, including private sector, vocational and other training service providers, incubation and acceleration hubs, relevant Ministries, the Ghanaian diaspora, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), as well as other donors and relevant actors working on green jobs and enterprises. SNV focuses on the following two result areas:  Employability and entrepreneurship capabilities of youth, women and returnees are improved in sectors of economic opportunities. Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs), offering decent and sustainable jobs to youth, women and returnees, are incubated and/or accelerated and contribute to green and climate resilient local economies.  

The “Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana  – (GrEEn)” is a four-year action from the European Union, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ghana, UNCDF and SNV. The project aims at creating greater economic and employment opportunities for youth, women and returning migrants by promoting and supporting sustainable, green businesses in selected regions (Ashanti and Western). GrEEn is implemented under the European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF) for Africa.GrEEn will contribute to addressing the root causes of irregular migration by supporting sustainable and climate resilient local economies, green jobs and development in regions of departure, transit and return. The objective of GrEEN it to create local financial ecosystems that facilitate the development of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and enable the transition of local economies to green and climate resilient development.Through a combination of grants, technical assistance and convening power, the GrEEn programme will work with the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development and other relevant ministries as well as Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to:Support the transition of local economies to green and climate resilient development.Improve the ability of women, youth and returning migrants to take advantage of job and entrepreneurship opportunities in green and climate resilient local economiesCreate and strengthen local ecosystems that support youth (self-) employment and the development of MSMEs.GrEEn has 4 result areas: UNCDF focuses on Results 1 and 3, while SNV on Results 2 and 4.Supporting growth of local economies and creating short-term job opportunities through cash for work.Improving the ability of women, youth and returning migrants to take advantage of green job and entrepreneurship opportunities in their local economies.Increasing access to and use of financial services to support cash-for-work beneficiaries and MSMEs to meet the needs for youth women and returning migrants while also benefiting their local communities.Supporting and speeding the growth of Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs) in the green and circular economy so they can offer decent, fair and sustainable jobs to youth, women and returning migrants.Through GrEEn, UNCDF is committed to:Short-term job opportunities for youth, women and returnees through green and climate resilient investments in local economies.Improve the employability of youth, women and returnees through orientation support and assistance, to transition to skills development for the benefit of green and climate resilient local economies (cash for work beneficiaries).Access and usage of financial services, leveraging remittances and digital solutions, adapted to the needs of (i) youth, women and returnees benefiting from cash for work schemes and (ii) local communities and MSMEs.GrEEn was officially launched in May 2020 under the patronage of the Ghanaian Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development.Going GrEEn for a sustainable future! #GrEEnProject #AfricaTrustFund.

Accra – Several years ago high school directors from Ghana’s Brong Ahafo and Ashanti regions began noticing that many of their students were dropping out before graduating. Their intent was to enter the job market, by risking the irregular journey across the Sahara and across the Mediterranean Sea in hopes of reaching Europe.  
Some were successful, but many were not – discovering that instead of lucrative employment, they faced terrible hardship, including death. 
Since May 2017, 1,003 Ghanaians have returned to their communities of origin with IOM support. About 35 per cent fall within the school age in the country (up to 26 years old). Among them, almost 60 per cent are from the Brong Ahafo, Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions, the highest regions of return in 2017 and 2018 according to a recent Assistance to Voluntary and Humanitarian Return report.  
Many return, eager to share their experience with their peers. These migrant voices can be a valuable teaching tool.  
Over the past two weeks some 10,000 high school students attended awareness-raising sessions on the dangers and alternatives to irregular migration organized on 29-30 April and 2-3 May 2019 by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in the Bono and Ashanti regions.  
Ghanaian returnees were invited to share their journey to Libya with the students and described their migration experiences including inhumane treatment, the crossing of the desert, and the reality in the detention centres. 
“The journey through the Saharan Desert is dangerous. Your chances of survival are only 20 per cent. Do not make an attempt and regret later,” said Richard, a migrant returnee. 
Fruitful exchanges took place between students and Ghanaian returnees around their journey, and pictures and short videos were also displayed to illustrate the risky and dangerous migratory routes.  
Some students joined together voluntarily to form Migration Clubs that were established in six senior high schools. The goal of the clubs is to do peer-to-peer education on safe migration while also sensitizing the larger community using drama, poetry, quiz games and arts, among other means.  
“It is your role to tell others in your communities, houses or at any gatherings about the risks associated with irregular migration. People may not know, so you must inform them. Be the catalyst for community change,” declared Yeboah Collins, IOM Community Outreach Assistant. 
The awareness-raising activities were organized with the support of the EU-IOM Joint Initiative for Migrant Protection and Reintegration, funded by the European Union Emergency Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF) and implemented by IOM. So far, 79,000 individuals have been reached through radio programmes on the dangers and alternatives to irregular migration, 11,000 through awareness-raising sessions in schools and 8,000 through community-awareness activities. 
“This activity should be sustained, at least once a year targeting our final year students so that they will not fall prey into the hands of smugglers,” said Kyeremeh Thomas, Guidance Counselling Co-ordinator, Dormaa Senior High School. 
An impact assessment will be made to measure behavioural change and strengthen future awareness-raising campaigns in Ghana.  
For more information, please contact Collins Yeboah at IOM Ghana, Tel: +233208268289 Email: cyeboah@iom.int or visit the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa website. 


Air pollution, the number one environmental risk to public health, costs roughly $2 billion per year and causes the premature death of nearly 16,000 people each year. Elderly account for most of the deaths, while more than half of the deaths from pneumonia in children under five is associated with air pollution.   Water Pollution causes significant damage equivalent to 3% of the GDP. This is due to the health effects of inadequate water supply, poor sanitation, and discharge of solid industrial and toxic waste into water systems.  Plastics pollution is rising to crisis proportions. Each day, over 3,000 metric tons of plastic waste is produced with much of it dumped as litter or placed into improvised landfills. This waste clogs open drainage systems and pollutes the ocean.   E-waste, associated with the Agbogbloshie dumpsite, is Accra’s main source of air pollution. Here, burning electronic parts cast carcinogenic compounds into the air while deposited toxic metals enter waterways and oceans. Each year, exposure to lead and mercury-causing diseases and the lost IQ points in children cost $440 million.   Poor land management leads to land degradation, costing over US$500 million a year and to deforestation costing US$400 million a year: five million hectares of forest was lost between 2001 and 2015. Over the past decade, artisanal gold mining aggravated the degradation as streams and rivers were dug up to find gold. Miners’ exposure to the toxic mercury also costs $240 million in health costs.   Ghana loses about 2.7 million m2 of its shore every year, with 80% of the shoreline actively eroding. Coastal erosion and flooding are particularly serious in Greater Accra where sea level rise increases erosion intensity and raises the chance of flooding by 20%. This puts at risk communities and UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Cape Coast and Elmina. Overfishing cost $233 million and could lead to the collapse of small pelagic fisheries and the loss of half a million jobs.   Climate change heavily affects climate- sensitive sectors on which Ghana’s growth is based - agriculture, forestry, and energy. It also triggers environmental disasters: in the last 40 years, floods affected four million people and a 2015 flash flood in Accra caused $55 million in damages.  Ghana is responding to the urgent need to protect the natural capital through evidence-based actions and concrete steps to share the impact of growth, especially in terms of food security and human development.   Informed by this analysis, Ghana is prioritizing environmental issues in development planning. But it's crucial to act now to prevent the impacts of environmental degradation and climate change on vulnerable people in Ghana . It is also key to understand the importance of well-informed communities and strong institutions in seeking accountability and transparency. Finally, Ghana would benefit from advancing critical policy reforms to allocate resources and benefits to communities.  E-Book: Learn more about Ghana Country Environmental Analysis


View PDFVolume 12, July 2021, e00756https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sciaf.2021.e00756Get rights and content

Ghana

Western Region

Ashanti Region

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The European Union is a unique economic and political union between 27 EU countries that together cover much of the continent.

European Union 

United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF)

European Union Emergency Trust Fund (EUTF)

The Government of Ghana

The Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

The project “Boosting Green Employment and Enterprise Opportunities in Ghana”(GrEEn) set by European and African partners is focused on addressing the root causes of irregular migration by supporting sustainable and climate resilient local economies, green jobs, and the development of local regions. As a result, the employability and entrepreneurship capabilities of the youth, women, and returnees are expected to improve. Work with local micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) will also ensure that they are able to offer decent and sustainable jobs to the youth, women, and returnees; and are equipped to contribute to the development of green and climate resilient local communities.