Govt inaugurates committee to protect water bodies
The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) has inaugurated a 15-member Steering Committee to oversee the implementation of a project aimed at protecting water bodies and improving livelihoods in the three northern regions.
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Known as the Adaptation Fund Project (AFP), the project is a collaboration between the ministry and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that is expected to help increase the area’s resilience to climate change.
The committee is made up of representatives from MESTI, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency(EPA), the Water Resource Commission, and the Ghana Meteorological Agency.
Others include the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), the Volta River Authority(VRA), the Volta Basin Authority, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and National Disaster Management Organisation(NADMO).
The committee is expected to review and provide quality assurance for technical reports as well as lead in providing guidelines for MESTI on the implementation of the technical components of the AFP.
The Minister of Environment, Science, Technology, and Innovation, Professor Frimpong Boateng, who inaugurated the committee, charged the member to provide strategic guidance to ensure the smooth implementation of the project.
Adaptation Fund Project
The AFP, which was initiated by MESTI, in partnership with UNDP, seeks to increase resilience to climate change through the management of water resources and diversification of livelihoods.
The four-year project, which is being implemented with an amount of US$ 8.2 million provided by the Adaptation Fund Board Secretariat, is expected to benefit over eight million people in the northern part of the country.
Prof Frimpong Boateng said the project was expedient and timely in preparing major players in the environment and natural resources sectors in particular for the tasks that lie ahead in government’s quest to secure a resilient sustainable future for its citizens.
He said climate change had a profound impact on the existence and development of mankind and was a major challenge facing all countries.
“This challenge to development is even worse with developing countries such as Ghana and in areas such as northern Ghana in particular. It is a threat to the supply of fresh water, our sources of life; it is a threat to food supply, as rising temperatures and prolonged draught render fertile areas unfit for grazing of crops,” he stated.
Govt’s efforts
The minister also pointed out that, “in the last 37 years, from Stockholm to Rio de Janeiro, and from Kyoto to Bali, we have made concerted efforts and achieved notable progress in protecting the global environment and tackling climate change.”
In 2015, world leaders gathered at the United Nations to discuss ways to tackle climate change which resulted in the Paris Climate Agreement.
Prof. Frimpong Boateng said that was of great significance for catalysing strong action by the international community to meet this global challenge.
“At the national level, we are putting in place the necessary processes to ensure that the Paris Agreement is implemented on schedule from 2020,” he said.
“We have gone through the process and have reached consensus with all stakeholders; government, industry, academia, civil society and communities at large through extensive consultations,” he added.
