The government has been urged to make climate resilience and environmental protection central to national development planning, with metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies (MMDAs) leading efforts to build safer, more sustainable and climate-resilient communities.
The Local Government Service Association of Physical Planners (LoGSAPP) said effective action at the local level was critical to translating national environmental commitments into practical measures to protect communities and strengthen their resilience to climate-related risks.
This was contained in a statement signed by the President of LoGSAPP and Head of the Physical Planning Department of the Nkoranza South Municipal Assembly, Gifty Nyarko, ahead of the International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer, which was commemorated yesterday.
Resilient communities
The association said Ghana could not build resilient communities if environmental considerations remained peripheral to decisions on land use, infrastructure, drainage, waste management, wetlands, green spaces and urban expansion.
It said the commemoration should go beyond an annual environmental event and provide an opportunity to translate international environmental commitments into practical action to protect public health and strengthen urban resilience.
The statement cited the Vienna Convention of 1985 and the Montreal Protocol of 1987 as examples of successful international environmental cooperation.
It explained that the Montreal Protocol had resulted in the phase-out of approximately 98 per cent of ozone-depleting substances globally compared with 1990 levels, demonstrating that environmental threats could be reversed when science, political will, international cooperation and sustained implementation came together.
Local action
The association further said that MMDAs had a critical role to play because many decisions determining the environmental safety and resilience of communities were taken at the local level.
It, therefore, urged them to integrate climate resilience and environmental protection into local development planning, infrastructure provision, land-use management and community development.
The association also said proper planning of wetlands, water bodies, drainage systems, green spaces, buildings and urban expansion could help reduce flooding, urban heat and other environmental risks.
It, however, said, “Global environmental commitments cannot succeed if local institutions lack the capacity, resources and technical expertise required for implementation.”
Climate finance
On climate finance, it called on development partners and international financial institutions to expand access to affordable climate finance, technology transfer, research, technical expertise and capacity-building for Ghana and other African countries.
The statement urged the private sector to increase investment in energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy, green construction, clean technologies and responsible waste management to drive innovation, job creation and long-term economic growth.
It stressed the need for the country to accelerate the transition towards efficient, affordable and climate-friendly cooling technologies in response to rising temperatures, urbanisation, population growth and increasing demand for refrigeration and air-conditioning.
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