Unscripted (in)justice: Exposure to ecological hazards in metropolitan Accra

Abstract

The author examines geographies of environmental hazards in Accra, declared a Millennium City on I5 January 2010. With the aid of both primary and secondary data, it is shown how environmental governance has shifted under neoliberalism, and the author demonstrates how a review of Accra's waste disposal problems could elucidate how such paradigm shift has contributed to urban social injustice. Current practices are seen as a symptom of poor governance and the value of understanding intraurban differentials is interrogated. It is posited that the current representations as to who bears the brunt of any possible health-risk outcomes appear abstract, incomplete, and poorly understood. The author illustrates how ineffective and insufficiently attentive governance can exacerbate health risks facing the entire society, and suggests that addressing inequalities may be among the most effective interventions to ensure sustainable environmental management, improve health, and guarantee social cohesion in the urban space.© 2013 Pion and its licensors.