The Regional Advisory Information and Network Systems (RAINS), a non-governmental organisation in the Northern Region, has called on the government to adopt a climate change education manual for schools and review the use of inorganic fertilisers and other chemical farm inputs to promote sustainable agriculture.
It said integrating climate change education into the school curriculum, alongside efforts to encourage environmentally friendly farming practices, was essential to protecting soil fertility and helping communities respond to the effects of climate change.
The Project Coordinator of RAINS, Alhassan Abubakar, made the call at the second edition of the Schools' Climate Festival in Savelugu, held on the theme: “Climate Champions: Inspiring Change in Our Schools and Communities.”
The festival brought together pupils, teachers, school authorities, development partners, representatives of the municipal assembly and agricultural officers to promote climate awareness and environmental protection.
Climate education
Mr Abubakar said RAINS had developed a climate change manual to help pupils understand environmental challenges and adopt sustainable practices at school, at home and in their communities.
The organisation had piloted the manual in selected schools in the Savelugu Municipality in collaboration with the Savelugu Municipal Education Directorate. Under the programme, climate ambassadors and designated teachers held weekly sessions to educate pupils on climate change and practical ways to protect the environment.
The manual is intended for integration into subjects such as General Science and other environment-related disciplines. However, Mr Abubakar said limited resources and difficulties in securing government adoption had constrained efforts to extend the initiative to more schools.
“If the government is able to adopt this manual and scale it up to the regional or even national level, learners will become more aware of climate change and take conscious steps to practise environmentally friendly activities in their schools and homes,” he said.
Pupils take action
The programme has encouraged pupils in several communities to move beyond classroom discussions and take practical action on environmental challenges.
Mr Abubakar cited pupils from Pigu, Nyologo, Ligba and Yong, among other communities, who had planted trees using seedlings supplied by RAINS to improve their school environments and protect the land.
Other schools had introduced weekly clean-up exercises to keep their surroundings clean and suitable for teaching and learning.
Some pupils had also shared climate change messages with their parents, encouraging them to consider sustainable farming practices and draw on indigenous agricultural knowledge to respond to changing climatic conditions.
Mr Abubakar said equipping young people with climate knowledge could help influence environmental behaviour in their households and communities.
Concerns over farm chemicals
Mr Abubakar also expressed concern about the use of inorganic fertilisers and chemical pesticides, advocating greater attention to indigenous farming methods and environmentally friendly alternatives.
He said engagements with farmer groups had highlighted policy-related challenges, including the availability of chemical farm inputs on the market, which, in his view, undermined efforts to promote sustainable agriculture.
He urged the government and other stakeholders to encourage farmers to reduce their dependence on synthetic inputs and adopt practices that maintained soil fertility.
Compost and biochar, he said, could improve soil health, support beneficial soil organisms and help the soil retain moisture. He also recommended weeding as an alternative to indiscriminate chemical spraying for controlling weeds.
Mr Abubakar further raised concerns about the potential health risks associated with the improper application of agricultural chemicals, particularly when farmers failed to observe recommended waiting periods between spraying crops and harvesting them.
He cited freshly harvested produce, including roasted maize and vegetables, as examples of food for which consumers needed greater awareness of safe agricultural practices.
He called for closer cooperation among agricultural experts, government agencies and farming communities to promote the proper use of pesticides and encourage sustainable alternatives.
Sustainable farming
The Municipal Director of Agriculture for Savelugu, Alhaji Baba Musah, also urged farmers to adopt sustainable agricultural practices to protect the environment, improve crop yields and reduce the effects of climate change on food production.
He said agriculture depended heavily on environmental conditions and warned that practices that degraded the soil could undermine the ability of future generations to produce enough food.
Alhaji Musah identified proper land preparation, responsible use of agrochemicals and fertilisers, planting cover crops and replenishing soil nutrients as important measures for maintaining soil fertility and improving productivity.
He expressed optimism that educating pupils about sustainable agriculture would help spread climate-friendly farming practices beyond the classroom, as children could share environmental protection messages with their parents.
The director also advocated sustainable agricultural intensification, which involves increasing production on smaller areas of land through improved farming practices rather than expanding cultivation without corresponding improvements in productivity.
He said proper land management and the application of appropriate agricultural methods could enable farmers to obtain the required yields from smaller plots.
Festival winners
Pupils and teachers commended RAINS for its continued support, saying the festival had broadened their understanding of climate change and practical measures for protecting the environment.
Nine basic schools in the municipality participated in this year's festival. They were Bunglun, Libga, Yong, Nyologo, Yemo and Ying basic schools, Savelugu Girls Model School, Pong Tamale Experimental Basic School and Malja Al-Ansuare Junior High School.
Savelugu Girls Model School won the debate competition, Malja Al-Ansuare JHS took the role-play category, while Pong Tamale Experimental Basic School won the exhibition category.
