There are clear manifestations of climate change impacts in Ghana but it has not received the needed national attention, the ActionAid Ghana (AAG) has observed.
Mr. John Nkaw, Head of Programmes, Campaign and Innovations of the AAG said when he was speaking at a day’s stakeholders’ seminar on climate justice jointly organized by the AAG and the University of Energy and Natural Resources (UNER) in Sunyani.
The programme, attended by 70 participants drawn from the Bono, Bono East and the Ahafo Regions was on the theme “Socio-Economic and Environmental Effects of Climate Change on Women and Households in the Bono Enclave of Ghana”.
It aimed at creating awareness among stakeholders on the socio-economic and environmental effects of climate change on vulnerable households and communities.
The participants included; farmers, Municipal/District Assemblies Planning Officers, representatives of youth groups such as Africa Youth Initiative of Climate Change, Environmental Protection Agency, civil society organisations and students of UNER.
According to Mr. Nkaw, a study conducted by the AAG on climate change policies and their implementation in Ghana revealed gaps in the policy and practice of climate change, adding the study also revealed low levels of awareness on climate change among the populace.
He said the industrialization of world economies in particular was noted to be the largest cause of climate change, adding that the situation had greatly affected agricultural production and therefore impacted negatively on people particularly living in poverty.
Professor John K.M Kuwornu, Dean, School of Graduate Studies of UNER said the state of climate change was threatening people with food insecurity, water scarcity, flooding, infectious diseases, extreme heat, economic losses and displacements.
Due to these human impacts, the World Health Organization had described climate change as the greatest threat to global health in the 21st Century, he said.
Prof. Kuwornu said the University was therefore delighted to join government and other organisations in fighting climate change and announced that the institution was currently undertaking research related to climate to provide policy options regarding mitigation and adaptation to climate change.
