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The Green Revolution Innovative Thinkers Ghana (GRITG), a non-profit organisation, has urged for collective and concerted efforts in dealing with climate change effects on the country’s socio-economic development.
The GRITG cautioned that the threat of global warming, erratic rainfall, drought, flooding, rise in sea level, greenhouse gas emissions and loss of carbon sinks, required urgent measures to protect the environment from degradation.
The group, seeking to tackle global food security, climate change and ecological degradation, has, however, noted that the government was on track by taking bold steps to tackle the impact of climate change on development, health and environment.
The GRITG, in a statement, signed by its President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Emmanuel Efui Tamakloe, copied, The Ghanaian Times, in Accra, commended the government for providing leadership in addressing concerns of the people in coping with the vagaries of climate change.
The statement noted that the creation of the Ministry in charge of Climate Change and Sustainability by President John Dramanai Mahama showed the commitment of the government in dealing with climate change effects.
The GRITG further said this has deepened the government’s commitment to international climate efforts, particularly the Paris Agreement (PA) that seeks to prevent global temperatures from rising more than 1.5 degrees, to which Ghana is a signatory.
The statement noted that the political landscape of taking decisions to counter the effects of climate change was changing, and it was imperative for the government to re-strategise and find solutions to these challenges.
Additionally, The NGO stated that a World Bank report released on April 30, 2024, in Accra revealed that: “Climate change in Ghana is causing extreme weather events like floods and droughts. It is estimated that about 2 million Ghanaians are vulnerable to food insecurity and that should any natural disaster occur food availability will be greatly affected, particularly in the Northern region and the rural areas of the country.”
The statement said that health issues related to heat, air pollution, and infectious diseases were on the increase with the elderly, youth, and children being particularly vulnerable.
The GRITG then appealed to Mr Issifu Seidu, the Minister of State in charge of Climate Change and Sustainability, to work closely with stakeholders, including the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation, Environmental Protection Agency, Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Centre for Climate Change, University of Ghana, Ministry of Finance, and security agencies, to tackle effects of climate change.
Moreover, the statement advised: “the only way to solve the problem of climate change to ensure development, is through coordinated efforts by key stakeholders and formulation of effective policies and a regulatory framework to promote the use of appropriate environmentally friendly, scientific and technological practices.”
The GRITG mentioned that as the country sought to intensify moves to industrialise the economy, there was the need for authorities to formulate and implement effective policies aimed at tackling climate crisis.
The statement underlined that: “there is no way we can avoid the release of carbon dioxide and other gasses into the atmosphere during the burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas to produce electricity, when we have decide to industrialise the country.”
