The Second Lady, Mrs Samira Bawumia, has called for a comprehensive assessment to understand and gauge the impacts of climate change in the country.
This, she said would ensure policies were inclusive and consider the needs of vulnerable populations.
Mrs Bawumia said the results of such assessment should be expressed in the ongoing updates of the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
NDCs are commitments countries make to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions as part of climate change mitigation.
The Second Lady said this yesterday in a speech read on her behalf by the Executive Director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Dr John Kingsley Krugu at a two-day global dialogue on the Impacts of the Implementation of Response Measures ongoing in Accra.
The dialogue which is the first of its kind to be held in conjunction with the 11th meeting of the Katowice Committee on Impacts (KCI) brought together 40 participants from 34 countries.
It was aimed at maximising the co-benefits and minimising the negative impacts of implementing NDCs.
Mrs Samira Bawumia said recent data shows that Africa bears a disproportionate burden of climate change, even though it contributes the least to global emissions.
She said the impacts of climate change on the continent continue to worsen with each passing day.
“Despite having access to cutting-edge technology, improved policies, and increased funding, we still seem powerless. Our people continue to face the harsh realities of climate change in their daily lives, from the challenges of farming to simple tasks like fetching water,” she said.
She said Ghana was also witnessing the impacts of climate change, stating that it was experiencing delayed rains and the worst drought in the northern parts in decades.
She said the government of Ghana had allocated GH¢8 billion ($500 million) from the national emergency fund to finance an agriculture support scheme to alleviate the plight of farmers affected by dry weather and ensure food security.
She said women and children were among the most vulnerable to bear the impacts of climate change.
According to the Second Lady, action taken to minimise the future impact of climate change directly or indirectly impact the policies of already climate-vulnerable countries like Ghana.
She said conscious efforts to mitigate the negative effects climate change could potentially widen the inequality levels in societies and continents and further widen the developmental gaps in other areas of life.
She was of the view that a clear understanding and transparent reporting of these impacts could help plan for a just transition that lessens the gross impacts of resetting the economy.
The Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice (SBSTA) Chair, Hendrik Hubert Joseph Vreuls, said “we are at a critical juncture where taking actions to address climate change is no more a choice and the intersection of climate change and sustainable development makes the dialogue essential to navigate the social, economic and environmental impacts of response measures,” he added.
BY JEMIMA ESINAM KUATSINU
