Cultural determinants of sustainable WM practices: A review of taboos, norms, and beliefs in Ghana’s rural communities

Abstract

This study presents a scoping review of peer-reviewed empirical and theoretical literature on the cultural determinants shaping sustainable solid waste management practices in rural Ghana. Drawing on interdisciplinary sources, the review synthesises evidence on how indigenous taboos, communal norms, and belief systems function as informal environmental governance mechanisms. Findings indicate that ritual prohibitions—such as bans on dumping in sacred groves or conducting waste activities on ancestral days—and gendered labour norms contribute to ecologically sustainable behaviours, often enforced through traditional authority structures. However, the efficacy of these systems is increasingly compromised by socio-cultural transformations, including urbanisation, religious pluralism, and declining customary leadership. The review also identifies significant gaps in the literature, notably spatial concentration in southern regions, limited gender-disaggregated analysis, and poor integration of indigenous ecological knowledge into formal waste policy frameworks. In addition, the evidence base is dominated by qualitative studies, which limits generalizability and underscores the need for mixed-methods and longitudinal research to capture the dynamic evolution of cultural practices. The study concludes that a hybrid governance model, incorporating indigenous principles within formal regulatory systems, offers a culturally contextualised pathway toward sustainable rural waste management. It recommends institutional recognition of traditional knowledge systems and participatory policy co-design as key to advancing integrated environmental governance.