Ghana to validate gender action plan on environment
A Gender Equity Strategy and Action Plan (GESAP) has being developed by the Environmental Protection Agency to address gender issues during the implementation of the Ghana Environmental Management Project (GEMP).
The GEMP initiative which is geared at restoring degraded lands, to help combat desertification, drought and other natural disasters in the nation’s Savannah zone, is being financed by a 7.4 million Canadian dollar grant from the Canadian Government.
Mr Daniel Amlalo, Acting Executive Director of the EPA, said this in Tamale during a three-day workshop to validate GESAP.
He said the initiative would serve as a platform to build the capacity of women and increase their representative at the national, regional and district levels.
He said that gender mainstreaming was important at all levels of the socio-economic development and environmental protection due to the critical role it plays in the management of natural resources.
Mr Amlalo said GEMP is one of the strategies that government is using to achieve the targets of the National Action Programme which was formulated in 2003 in furtherance of Ghana’s ratification of the United Nation’s Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD).
Dr Nicholas Iddi, National Coordinator of the Ghana Environmental Management Project, said the GEMP office was working tirelessly to select a proposal from the many proposals received from individuals and communities.
He said each proposal would be assessed on its merit with regard to its ability to address the priority areas of the GEMP.
Mr Iddrisu Abu, Northern Regional Director of the EPA, said the EPA would work to ensure the success of the GEMP by ensuring proper networking among all the stakeholders and the delivery of all projects on schedule.
He said government and its partners are strengthening efforts to replenish the vegetation and forest resources in the north knowing that it likely to be the place to suffer the effects of climate change.
Source: GNA