ECCRING project greatest potential in mitigating climate change – Lecturer

A Senior Climate Change Lecturer  at the University for Development Studies , Dr Francis Obeng has stated that the “Expanding Climate Change Resilience in Northern Ghana Project”  (ECCRING), has the greatest potential in mitigating climate change effects  in the three northern regions which is  hard hit by climate change effects.

The 15-month project which started in January 2013 and is expected to end in March 2014, has its funding source totaling about two million Canadian dollars from the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development (DFATD) and the Canadian Hunger Foundation (CHF).

Dr Obeng  who is also Climate Change Consultant, made the observation in an interview with the Ghana News Agency at  separate functions at Zongoire and  Kabore in the Bawku West District, when  the funding agency and ACDEP staff, including its partners and the media, embarked on an evaluation tour to assess the impact the project had made so far .

He noted that records had shown that the ECCRING project had yielded much positive impact in mitigating climate change in its operational areas, and mentioned for instance, that   the project had empowered the 18 communities in which  it is operating, to establish  considerable  acreage of woodlots. including tree planting.

He indicated that another significant landmark the project had achieved   is the building of the capacity of   farmers in the 18 communities to be able to access weather information through mobile phones,  to enable them select  the appropriate time to plant their crops and to get good yields.

“For this year, for example, there were late rainfalls and drought, but through the weather information they received from mobile phones, the farmers were able to plant their crops at the appropriate time and harvested appreciable yields.”, the Senior Lecturer stressed.

Dr Obeng further cited the mud energy  saving stove  as a very good innovative the project had introduced into the communities, and said this concept apart from  reducing  the pressure of cutting down trees,  had also reduced the load ,time and energy women often used to walk long distances in search of fuel wood.

He, however, regretted about the short duration of the project, and appealed to the donors to extend the programme  to enable  it to  be scaled up in more communities in the northern regions since the areas are more endemic to climate change.

Sharing some of the benefits accrued from the Climate Change Project,  Mrs Dorcas Ayeere,   a 30-year-old woman at Kabore in the Bwku West District, said what she cherished most about the project was the mud energy saving stove which makes her no longer commute long distance into the bush at her own risk in search of fuel wood,  adding “ the replacement of the traditional stove with what we  have been introduced to, makes  it more comfortable when cooking, as we are not exposed to much heat and dirty”

Ms Fabienne Glauser, International Development Projects Advisor of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development said she was very much impressed about the project outcome, particularly  the building of  the capacity of the communities to  come out with Community Action Plans( CAPs) on Climate Change adaptation, which they had  forwarded to the Municipal and District Assemblies(MMDAs) to be mainstreamed into their Mid Term Development Plans for implementation.

Mr Pealore Zachary,  Project Manager of ACDEP in charge of the ECRING project, mentioned among others, what  the project components had done  including THE training of  community Based Fire Volunteers, Refurbishment  and maintenance of  Borehole water Troughs, the training of  Community Livestock Workers and equipping them  and documenting  and disseminating Information  on indigenous weather and early warning systems to communities as some of the project achievements.

The Executive Director of ACDEP, Mr Malex Alebikiya said ACDEP which had been working in the three Northern Regions in the area of Food Security and Climate Change would continue to build the capacity of partners, the Northern Ghana Climate Change Wing and to network with the communities to ensure the sustainability of the project.

Mr Joseph Ayinebila, the Human Development Coordinator of NABOCADO said the  Catholic Church viewed issues of Climate Change very serious and reiterated  that it would continue to strive to ensure that  the project was sustained.

He, however, lamented over its short period of duration.

In the Upper East Region, ACDEP the lead implementing Agency is partnering  the  Navrongo –Bolgatanga Catholic  Diocesan Development(NABOCADO) Office in  implanting the ECCRING project in 8 communities including  kobore ,  sapeliga , zongoire , Kusanaba in Bawku West District and  Naaga, Kologo , Biu  and Gaani also in the Kessena Nankana East District

In the Northern Region ACDEP is partnering with the Evangelical Presbyterian Development and Relief Agency (EPDRA),  a Church Based NGO  operating  in the Yendi Municipality and Zasilari Ecological Farms Projects (ZEFP) in the West Mamprusi District  to also implement the project in some selected  communities .

Source: GNA