Germany launches €3m climate change project in Ghana
The German Cooperation with funding from the Energy and Climate Fund of the German Technical Development Cooperation, has launched a €3 million Adaptation of Agricultural Ecosystem to Climate Change (AAESCC) project in Tamale, Ghana.
The project, launched on Tuesday, was aimed at reversing the devastating effects of climate change to improve agricultural yield.
The AAESCC project would be implemented within five and half years by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture in the Savannah and transition zones and facilitate adaptation of land use for concept development with farming communities in Brong Ahafo and Northern regions.
Dr Ernest Mill, Project Advisor to AAESCC, said this during the launch of the project in Tamale which brought together farmers and opinion leaders from the beneficiary areas.
He said the objective of the project was to reduce climate-related yield loss for the average farmer to incorporate the results of the measures into adapting land use systems to climate change.
Dr Mill said the project was closely integrated into the Market Oriented Agricultural Programme thus guaranteeing the results and experience gained could be absorbed and utilized over a long period.
He said the willingness of the Ghanaian Government to implement the project and participate actively at regional and national levels must be guaranteed in order for the German contribution to be able to take effect.
Mr Moses Bukari Mabengba, Northern Regional Minister, in a speech read for him, said climate change had caused serious problems for the country particularly in the agricultural sector stressing that the World Bank had indicated that the country needs a colossal $314.1 million to execute climate change mitigation measures.
He expressed the hope that the project would take the necessary measures and strategies to reduce the climate change effects and incorporate the results into agricultural sector policies to improve crop yield.
Mrs Philomena B. Appiah, Director of Environmental Protection Agency in the Brong Ahafo Region, expressed worry that bush fires were the major causes of climate change effects in the country.
She said last year, the region recorded 53 bush fires but had recorded 150 in 2012 stressing that bush fires increases the desertification of the region.
She indicated that eight districts in Brong Ahafo were prone to desertification and advised the general public and farmers to be circumspect and avoid bush burning and other activities that could harm the environment.
Source: GNA