Ghana strategises to meet demand of UNCCD
Ghana which is a party to the United Nation Convention to Combat Desertification and Drought (UNCCD) has begun activities to ensure that it meets the demands of the UNCCD 10-year strategic plan.
Ghana signed and ratified the UNCCD in 1996 to show commitment to combat desertification and mitigate the effects of drought.
Globally, the UNCCD entered its second decade in 2007 and the Conference of the Parties (COP) unanimously adopted the plan to enhance the implementation of the Convention.
In Ghana the Ministry of the Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation in collaboration with Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is playing a leading role to formulate and revise the National Action Plan (NAP) to align with the plan.
As part of the activities to help realise the dream , a four- day workshop was organised in Kumasi, on the theme: “Your Sector Policies, Strategies and actions related to NAP (Desertification, Land degradation and Drought(DLDD):Sustainable Land and Water Management(SLWM).”
It attracted 53 key stakeholders with expertise drawn from the academia, governmental and non-governmental organisations.
Speaking to the GNA in a sideline interview the National Focal Point of the UNCCD, Mr Asher Nkegbe, explained that the workshop was part of the process and procedure for aligning the NAP.
He said the specific objective of the workshop was to revise the NAP to identify for incorporation, gaps and emerging issues, such as climate change and mining, that are relevant and require solutions, not only to address the DLDDs.
He expressed optimism that the inputs made by the stakeholders would help Ghana to align its revised NAP to combat desertification and to especially meet the target of the five operational objectives of the UNCCD.
“As a party to the UNCCD, Ghana is obliged to report to the permanent secretariat of the Convention its national activities undertaken to combat desertification and drought which is in line with part IV, Article 26 of the Convention”, he stated.
Mr Nkegbe, who is also the Upper East Regional Director of the EPA indicated that the UNCCD framework which begun in 2007 and expected to end in 2018 is to enhance the implementation of the Convention specifically, its paragraph five and 45 which calls on affected country parties to align their NAP to the strategy .
The Executive Director EPA was thankful to Canada for the support in implementing the Ghana Environment Management Project.
He expressed Ghana’s preparedness to comply with all obligations under the UNCCD
The Board Chairman of the EPA, Professor V.K Nartey said Ghana is committed to ensure that the NAP document becomes the framework for containing land degradation and desertification and mitigate the effect of drought in the country.
All the stakeholders pledged to work hard by ensuring that they collaborate effectively to boost Ghana’s contribution to towards the achievement of the set target of the UNCCD.
Source: GNA