Upper East forest reserves under threat – CENFAD
The Centre for Alternative Development (CENFAD-Ghana), a non-governmental organization working in the areas of good governance and climate change, has expressed concern about the spate of depletion of forest reserves in many communities the Upper East Region.
The Programme Coordinator of CENFAD-Ghana, Mr Martin Abelwine, was speaking in Bolgatanga on Wednesday at a climate change workshop, organised by CENFAD with support from Ibis Ghana.
The workshop on the theme: “Climate Change -Enhancing Partnership in improving Sustainable Livelihoods in Our Rural Community for Development”, brought together, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), government agencies, civil society organisations (CSOs), women groups and journalists to deliberate on climate change issues in the region and to chart a way forward.
Mr Abelwine expressed fears about the looming threat of climate change in the region, adding that the MMDAs either have no by-laws on the environment gazetted to ensure enforcement.
He also complained about the meagre budget allocated to the MMDAs’ climate change issues and called on them to be more proactive by teaming up with the CSOs to develop good proposals to access climate change funding externally.
He explained that CENFAD in collaboration with Ibis Ghana is implementing a Climate Change Project dubbed: “Improving Sustainable Livelihoods through Participatory, accountable and Transparency governance,” which is a component under Ibis Ghana’s Democratic and Accountability Governance Programme.
He said the project which is being implemented in the Bolgatanga Municipality, Bongo, and Kassena-Nankana West and Talensi districts has started yielding good results.
Ms Sofaya Musah, the Programme Facilitator of IBIS in charge of the Northern and Upper East Regions, explained that the project seeks to support CSOs in identifying climate change-related threats to local community livelihoods and to advocate pro-poor climate policies and public programmes.
She indicated that Ibis Ghana is concerned about issues relating to livelihoods of people particularly the vulnerable.
Source: GNA