Sustainable Development: A Must Priority for Ghana

Most environmental organizations and some Ghanaian individuals have always wondered how Government sees and priorities the issue of Climate Change. Is it just another chance for a developing country to make some money out of the developed countries or are they really concerned about using funds to address developmental and adaptation measures?

Looking at the possible effects of climate change on Africans and the Ghanaian, one will expect it to be high on national agenda. Agriculture and food security is threatened in our motherland. A country with rich agricultural heritage and rainfall compared to most Sub-Saharan countries imports food from neighboring countries which are near desert. Ghana, a net exporter of food items some few years back, is now a net importer of food items that can easily be produced in the country. I always say climate change has not really started hitting Ghana “hard” and even with that farmers are struggling as most are subsistence farmers who rely on natural rain and the weather.

Ghana is challenged with the provision of clean water and this worsens during the Harmatan each year. With this, it will be expected that Government will put in place sustainable ecosystem management approach that will address the issue. Instead, all our wetlands and watershed are being converted into fuel stations, urban areas and dump sites and the remaining water bodies gradually turning to drainages. Does this look like a country bracing herself for the challenges of climate change or interested in ensuring the sustainable management of her resources?

With all these starring in our faces one wonders if our governments are well aware of the situation or they are waiting for a fund to address an issues that affect her people who she cares so much about? Or better still is she putting in place the appropriate measures at all? If Burkina Faso and other near desert countries who are of a lower income status can put sustainable measures in place and produce food in excess for Ghana to import, then it is obviously an issue of priority.

Yes, the climate change policy and environment policy were launched by the President about a month ago, but we all know that launching of policies is no big deal for the Ghanaian Government.

Keta is gradually being washed away. Bagré dam may soon be opened and the north will be flooded. Like that is not enough, the Harmatan season will approach soon and guess what, the whole place will be on fire….. Farms, homes and lives will be lost. This happens yearly and we are yet to see real action being taken on it. It is obviously not an issue of launching policies but taking concrete actions.

We talk of green development yet Government has signed on a deal with Shenzhen Energy Group (SEG), an independent power producer from China to build a 700MW coal-fired power plant in Ghana. This means importing about 20 million tons of coal each year from South Africa and having 2 million tons of ash released each year not talking about the use of the little fresh water left in the country to power the plant. In an era where even the Chinese government has banned the establishment of further coal-powered plants in its major cities after battling with devastating smog issues and the whole world calling for Renewable Energy alternatives this is the least action one would expect from Government.

Clearly, this is past a policy level. It is time for real action and commitment to be taken to address the issues of climate change and adaptation in Ghana. Ghanaians and the youth are calling for the Ghanaian Government to take charge and give us the sustainable future we deserve.