Gov’t implementing strategic programmes to mitigate effects of climate change

The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr Samuel Abu Jinapor, says government is implementing two major interventions to urgently respond to the effects of climate change.

They include the Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD Programme (GCFRP) in cocoa forest landscape, mainly in the southern part of the country and the Ghana Shea Lands Scape Emission Reduction Programme in the Northern Savannah zones of Ghana.

Mr Abu Jinapor made this known at the opening of the 12th Bosphorus Summit, in Istanbul, Turkey.

Those programmes, he said, would enhance the ecosystem while improving livelihoods, create opportunities for farmers, women groups and forest users in general.

Mr Abu Jinapor said, in tandem with the vision of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, Ghana successfully planted seven million seedlings nationwide on June 11, this year under the flagship Green Ghana initiative.

He also stated that a robust Afforestation Programme, which sought to restore the degraded landscape across all ecological zones and inculcate the culture of tree planting among Ghanaians, would soon be rolled out, as part of government’s Master Plan on landscape restoration.

The Minister called on various countries, institutions and the private sector actors to collaborate with Ghana and exchange the rich experience and best practices in landscape restoration.

The Minister urged the participants at the summit and the International Community to deliberate on the effects of climate change on the ecosystem, which links forest and sustainable Livelihoods.

He said: “Let us invest in technology and science that prevents the impact of climate change on the Livelihoods of the people we lead”.

The Minister was of the view that, ” We can only achieve our aim if global climate actions are real and verifiable, and this we must do, by embracing real and verifiable emissions reduction initiatives”.

On his part, the Chairman of the International Cooperation Platform (ICP), Mr Rona Yircali, said the time had come for the International Community to reaffirm its commitment towards the enhancement of the environment.

He hoped discussions at the summit including climate change and the importance of agriculture would help to make the world a better place to live in.

The 12th Bosphorus Summit is being hosted by Turkey’s Commercial Capital Istanbul, attended by ministers of state, diplomats, experts and academics from Ghana, Angola, Jordan, Turkey, Kosovan, Palestine, Denmark, Belgium, UK, USA, Norway, Azerbaijan and many other countries worldwide.

Discussions will focus on cyber security, artificial intelligence, conflict resolution, transport and Industrialisation.