Assessing Residents’ Knowledge, Attitude and Practice on Solid Waste Management in Mangu Community in The Wa Municipality of the Upper West Region, Ghana

Abstract

ABSTRACT Waste management poses a challenge for city authorities worldwide, making it a major problem in developing countries, including Ghana. The purpose of this study is to examine the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of solid waste management (SWM) of residents of the Mangu community in the Wa Municipality in the Upper West Region of Ghana. The study used a sequential mixed method design to sample 363 respondents for quantitative analysis using a questionnaire and interviewed 5 key informants for qualitative analysis using an interview guide. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, frequencies, percentages, cross-tabulation with chi-square test, and correlation analysis at a 95% confidence interval. In addition, the qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis, with informants’ views coded and categorised into themes to further explain the quantitative results. The results showed that residents of Mangu had good knowledge of the types of solid waste they generated. The results indicate that residents of the Mangu community have a positive attitude towards SWM. However, in practice, the results indicate that residents of the Mangu community exhibit poor SWM practices. Consequently, this study found a linear relationship between KAP among the residents. That is, an increase in residents’ knowledge of SWM significantly increased their attitude toward and practice of SWM. The socio-demographic factor associated with KAP was occupation, which was significantly associated with knowledge of SWM. Gender, age, number of children and people living in the household, occupation, and length of stay in the community were also associated with residents' attitudes towards SWM. However, socio-demographic factors did not have a significant association with poor SWM practices in the Mangu community of Wa Municipality. The study concludes that there is a linear relationship between the KAP of SWM residents in the Mangu community and recommends that the Wa Municipal Assembly, along with sanitation stakeholders, prioritise promoting public education about SWM.