Ghana on course in implementing climate change mechanisms

Head of Climate Change Unit at the Forestry Commission, Robert Bamfo, says Ghana is on course to vigorously pursue actions to implement one of the most important mechanisms for climate change mitigation.

The National REDD-plus Readiness Preparation Proposal (R-PP) aims to assist Ghana to prepare itself and become 'ready' for full implementation of the 'Reduced Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation' (also called REDD-plus).

The REDD-plus is an initiative which provides opportunities for developing countries like Ghana to manage forest resources in a more responsible and sustainable manner, and get financial support from developed countries to do this through the World Bank.

Communities and traditional authorities have been identified as major stakeholders in the implementation of the R-PP, which is running between 2010 and 2013.

According to Mr. Bamfo, there are ongoing engagements with stakeholders to get inputs for the formulation of a National REDD+ strategy, which is key to determine Ghana's readiness to implement the mechanism.

“We are also going to start the REDD-plus pilot on the ground where we'll learn lessons from the implementation of REDD. These lessons will inform the formulation of the national strategy”, he noted.

Deforestation causes loss of biodiversity, floods, siltation and soil degradation, threatening livelihoods of people.

In Ghana, most indigenous people, often referred to as local communities, live in forest areas and have traditional links to their lands. They are users and managers of forestlands and resources, hence they face specific challenges as a consequence of climate change and related policy measures.

Local communities contribute least to carbon emissions, yet are the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change.

The REDD-plus as a climate change mitigation mechanism has the potential to create opportunities and provide funds to improve livelihoods of indigenous people through the recognition of the value of traditional knowledge systems for forest management.

Mr. Bamfo said potential beneficiaries have been “made aware that REDD is not only going to be an environmental mechanism, it's also going to improve on the social well-being of the local communities as well as enhance the economic gains; in other words, REDD will ensure sustainable development”.

There could however be a risk of violating the rights of the local people if the REDD process are not designed and implemented using a right-based approach. This can increase their socio-economic and environmental vulnerabilities.

Ghana therefore needs to demonstrate capacity in the areas of Technical – monitoring and accounting for forest carbon emissions over time; Institutional – enacting and enforcing forest national protection laws; Societal – enhancing multi-stakeholder participation; and Economic – designing and implementing mechanisms for equitable sharing of financial benefits.

Stakeholders have been meeting in Kumasi to explore ways of addressing the challenges posed by REDD+ through the development of national strategies, action plans, policies and measures for a full and effective REDD+ implementation.

Participants at the workshop suggested among others, the inculcation of climate change and related activities in the school curricula, creation of a common national platform for data management and information sharing, capacity building for expertise in carbon trading at the national and community level, and transparency and accountability in REDD+ implementation.

Country Level Focal Project Person, Prof. Samuel K. Oppong, says the report will be submitted to the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) for further support in capacity-building programmes.

Existing research projects related to REDD-plus, like the Ghana Cocoa- Carbon Initiative and the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM), will also be harmonized in working towards a common goal under the National Climate Change Policy.

Ghana is among other countries in the world fighting climate change by signing the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), which has been in force since 1994.

Story by Kofi Adu Domfeh/Luv Fm/Ghana