Strategies for Sustainable Environmental Management of Construction Activities in Ghana

Abstract

The Ghanaian construction industry continues to improve by the recent intensification of infrastructure development by government and the private sector. Nonetheless, this is happening with a strong focus on economic development to the detriment of the environment these activities affect. This paper focuses on identifying the strategies by which sustainable environmental management could be structured to mitigate the impact of construction activities in Ghana. A mixed-method research approach was adopted. Quantitative data were collected from 83 practitioners in the construction industry, while qualitative data were elicited from 18 Construction and Environmental Management practitioners. The mean scores indicated that all the 20 strategies for integrating environmental concerns into construction activities in Ghana were considered significant by the respondents. The empirical findings of the study indicate that for environmental concerns to be effectively integrated into construction activities in Ghana, a concerted effort will be required from the various actors within the construction industry. These include the role of clients in selecting environmentally conscious service providers, designers focusing on environmentally friendly construction materials and methods, reduce, recycling and reuse of waste materials, the commitment of government towards sustainable development, and well-structured educational campaigns to promote environmentally sustainable construction activities.