Ghana is implementing strategic programmes to combat climate change – Lands Minister

Ghana’s Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has told a summit in Turkey that the government is implementing two major interventions to urgently respond to the effects of climate change.

These are the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme (GCFRP) in cocoa forest landscape, mainly in the southern part of the country, and the Ghana Shea Lands scape Emission Reduction Programme in the Northern Savannah zones of the country.

Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor said this at the opening of the 12th Bosphorus Summit, in Istanbul, Turkey on Monday 6th December, 2021.

The 12th Bosphorus Summit, themed, ‘Meeting the challenges for a better world’, was opened by the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Speaking on the topic, ‘The effect of climate change on the ecosystem and the importance of Forest and Sustainable Livelihoods,” Ghana’s Lands and Natural Resources Minister said these programmes will enhance the ecosystem whiles improving livelihood opportunities for farmers, women groups and Forest users in general.

The 12th Bosphorus Summit, which among other things seeks to enhance bilateral cooperation between Ghana and Turkey, also created opportunities for sharing best practices in afforestation and reforestation.

“These two (2) programmes seek to enhance the ecosystem functionality to deliver emission reductions in Ghana’s major commodity supply chains (Cocoa in the south and Shea in the north), biodiversity protection and conservation, whilst improving livelihood opportunities for farmers, women groups and forest users, in general.”

The Minister also spoke about one of the government’s flagship programmes initiated in Ghana to address climate change, being the GREEN GHANA PROJECT.

“In accordance with the vision of the President of the Republic of Ghana, the Green Ghana Project was successfully executed on June 11, 2021, during which a total of seven (7) Million seedlings were planted in a day, across the country.”

“The Green Ghana Project next year, 2022, will see to the planting of twenty (20) million seedlings in a day. The commitment to plant twenty (20) million trees in the year 2022, was announced by the President of Ghana, at the World Leaders’ Summit at COP26 in Glasgow.”

He also added that the Government of Ghana intends to roll out a Robust Afforestation and Reforestation Programme, aimed at restoring degraded landscapes by both the private and public sectors.

“The programme is quite ambitious and requires sustainable financing and logistical support. We are, therefore, ready to partner countries, institutions, or private sector actors, who wish to share our rich experiences and best practices in landscape restoration” he noted.

While reiterating Ghana’s commitment to contribute to the global efforts at halting climate change and its attendant debilitating consequences, the Minister called for “investment in technology and science that prevent impacts of climate change on the livelihoods of the people we lead. Let us move towards actions to reduce our carbon footprints that exacerbate climate change.”

According to him, “Times have changed, we have moved from the position of measuring poverty by food security or the lack of it. Poverty is not only based on food security, but there is also the need to add multidimensional characteristics such as sustainable livelihoods.”

Source: CNR