Climate change risk transmuting into climate emergencies – Dr Savadogo
Dr Moumini Savadogo, Executive Director of West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL) on Thursday said projections have revealed that climate change effects are metamorphosing from climate risks to an emergency.
“Over the years we have been talking about climate risk but per scientific projections it is exacerbating to an emergency. It is getting very serious and we need to act fast by developing smart and efficient actions in areas of mitigation and adaptation to deal with the situation,” he stated.
Dr Savadogo, who was speaking at a media briefing organised by WASCAL in Accra said, there was the need to develop and upscale more climate-smart solutions, especially in the sectors of energy and agriculture to build resistance.
Other mitigation measures, he pointed out includes ensuring energy efficiency at homes, use of solar, and servicing vehicle regularly to reduce fumes and curb greenhouse gas emissions.
Adaptation could be described as measures such as reforestation and disaster preparedness aimed at reducing vulnerability to the effects of climate change.
The WASCAL, he said, was collaborating with other stakeholders to help Ghana meet the United Nations Development Goal 13, which focuses on Climate Action as well as the Nationally Determined Contributions.
Dr Savadogo said the institution was operating within three key areas, namely, climate and environmental services, evidence-based and impact-oriented research and capacity building.
He said the Centre continue to strengthen the research infrastructure and capacity in West Africa, through its graduate school by training maters and doctoral, the offering of thesis grants and in-service training.
Under the service pillar, Dr Savadogo said, the institution collates data on weather and makes it available to policy makers to make decisions for farmers, to enable them to know the rainfall trend.
He said Ghana had been given six weather stations, which was being operated by the Ghana National Meteorological Service.
Professor Rene Haak, the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, said the WASCAL supported research would improve the understanding of climate and land management change impacts on the natural and socio-economic environment in the West African region.
Since its establishment over 10 years ago, he said more than 250 students had received post-graduate training in climate change and were ready to support within the gained experience.
Mr Peter Dery, the Board Chair of WASCAL, said the government was implementing climate change mitigation and adaptation projects, including one village one dam and the planting for food and jobs, to ensure sufficient food all year round.
He acknowledged that there was a lack of data collection and lack of capacity building in the area of climate change and that WASCAL was collaborating with the government to address the problem.
Source: GNA