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Public Agenda (Accra)

Ghana: Climate Change Threat, is Country Taking It Serious?

From the Editor

29 August 2008

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Ghana was privileged to have hosted the United Nations Talks on Climate Change which ended last Wednesday, where it emerged that the threat climate change poses to human existence is enormous and should not be underestimated.

However, there is still debate in political circles across the globe whether climate change is occurring at all. Weather changes, especially the unpredictable rainfall patterns, drought, drying up of water sources, the ongoing food crisis, the unprecedented melting of ice at the Artic, Antarctic Oceans and global warming are all indications that climate change is real and one thing is responsible for its occurrence-human activity.

Africa is said to be one of the regions most vulnerable to the effects of climate change, although it contributes minimally to the problem. The difficult social and economic situation of most Africans, especially women and children, worsens the situation of food stocks and the food chain in general, from which most of the vulnerable in the developing world earn their livelihood.

One paradigm that is speeding up climate change and environmental degradation is that there must be economic growth at the expense of the environment. But its emerging economic gains at the expense of the environment and other social considerations cannot result in sustainable development.

At the national level, some of the critical environmental issues confronting the country include the depletion of forest reserves and the pollution and destruction of water bodies across the country.

Statistics indicate that by 2025 Ghana will become one of the countries in the world to face water scarcity of 1700 cubic meters or less per person annually; hence the need for future governments to show enough commitment to prevent such a disaster from occurring. Although Ghana is endowed with abundant water resources, fresh water is becoming increasingly unavailable, thus compelling many people to depend on mineral water with the attendant problem of dealing with plastic waste.

Besides, it is estimated that Ghana is depleting its remaining forest cover at a rate of 62,000 hectares per annum and the annual forest depletion is quantified to be 3% of GDP.

In a country like Britain climate change has become such a big issue that it's a major component of its foreign policy. Unfortunately our government probably doesn't see environmental issues as important; little wonder that the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology was scrapped and split among two other ministries.

All said, we have exhibited disregard for the environment in our bid to attract foreign investment. Ghana cannot have sustainable development if we allow the plundering of our natural wealth in a manner that portrays us as bad stewards of the environment.

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