Ghana government urged to address climate change challenges
Mrs Charlotte Norman, Chief Climate Change and Disaster Risk Control Officer, National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) has called on government and institutions for urgent and concerted efforts to address the challenges of climate change.
She said though much has been done in this aspect, the problem is escalating, hence the need for drastic and achievable initiatives to resolve it.
Mrs Norman noted that the adverse effect of climate change has been the recent higher temperatures, increase risk in drought, fire and floods, climate related diseases, rising sea levels, risk to wildlife and other living organisms.
She made the call at a conference in Accra, organised by Islamic Humanitarian Foundation, under the auspices of Sheikh Mohammed Salis Shaban, Tijaniyya, a Muslim Cleric.
It was also part of the golden jubilee celebration of Sheikh Ibrahim Niaas to educate Muslim organisations especially imams on climate change and how it could be resolved.
The theme for the conference: “The role of Islamic Religious leaders in tackling climate change,” was to enable the leaders contribute their quota effectively towards the fight against climate change resolution.
She noted that since Ghana is aiming at attaining a per capita income of at least $3,000 by 2020, the country has no option but to formulate policies and strategies to ensure that technology drives all socio- economic activities as has been done by many developed and emerging economies.
She said such interventions helped to reduce the impact of climate change and disaster risk in those countries.
Mrs Norman therefore urged that all activities that are leading to deforestation in all forms should stop and rather people must make conscious efforts to plant and grow trees in surroundings.
Mr John Agyekum Kufour, the Former President in a speech read on his behalf, congratulated the organisers for organising such an event for the religious leaders.
He said the topic was very important for the development of the environment and the economy at large.
The former president said for mankind to survive the threat of climate change, there is the need for all to be innovative and put in place measures that are adaptive and resilient to the menace.
This therefore makes religious leaders to serve as guides to their followers since they are seen as paramount and could influence the minds and attitudes of the people to get the needed change.
He thus urged them to use their sermons to teach the people to adopt environmentally friendly measures even to their children to enable them grow with it to preserve the climate.
He also appealed to government to develop policies that pave way for private partnership to help deal with the situation.
Mr Emmanuel Obeng, Environmental Protection Agency, Climate Department Officer, said the activities from industry, energy, among other activities have emitted more green house gases into the system thereby causing massive effect.
He advised that government to mainstream climate change into the budget and planning to help create awareness.
Sheikh Mohammed Salis Shaban, Tijaniyyan Spiritual Cleric Ghana, Togo and Benin o urged car owners to constantly check their emissions rate to keep the environment clean and safe for all.
Source: GNA