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CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN GHANAGHANA

OPPONG-BOADI KYEKYEKU

PRINCIPAL PROGRAMME OFFICER,

ENERGY RESOURCES AND CLIMATE CHANGE UNIT,

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

ACCRA, GHANA.

22

INTRODUCTIONINTRODUCTION

• Climate change has great significance for sustainable development plans and livelihoods in Ghana.

• It should be seen as developmental issue for the country.

• The diversity in agro climatic regimes across the country from savanna to rainforest with differing degrees of temperature and rainfall variability, make discussion of climate change for Ghana challenging.

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Coastal Savannah ZoneCoastal Savannah ZoneMean Annual Daily Temperature, 1961 to 2000 in the Coastal Savannna Zone

26.2

26.4

26.6

26.8

27.0

27.2

27.4

27.6

27.8

28.0

28.2

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

MEAN 5 per. Mov. Avg. (MEAN)

Mean Total Annual Rainfall, 1961 to 2000 in the Coastal Savanna Zone.

400.0

600.0

800.0

1000.0

1200.0

1400.0

1600.0

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

RR 5 per. Mov. Avg. (RR)

44

Forest ZoneForest ZoneM ean A nnual Dai l y , 1961 to 2000 i n the For es t Zone.

25.0

25.5

26.0

26.5

27.0

27.5

28.0

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Y ear

ME AN 5 per . Mov. Avg. (ME AN)

Mean Total Annual Rainfall, 1961 to 2000 in the Forest Zone

600.0

800.0

1000.0

1200.0

1400.0

1600.0

1800.0

2000.0

2200.0

2400.0

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

RR 5 per. Mov. Avg. (RR)

55

 

Sudan Savannah ZoneMean annual Dai ly Temperature, 1961 to 2000 in the Sudan

Savanna Region

28.0

28.2

28.4

28.6

28.8

29.0

29.2

29.4

29.6

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

MEAN 5 per. Mov. Avg. (MEAN)

T otal annual R ai nf al l 1961 to 2000 i n the Sudan

Savana.

600.0

700.0

800.0

900.0

1000.0

1100.0

1200.0

1300.0

1400.0

1500.0

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

Tota

l(mm

)

T OT AL 5 per . Mov. Avg. (T OT AL)

66

 

Guinea Savannah ZoneMean Annual Dai ly Temperature, 1961 to 2000 in the Guinea

Savanna Zone

26.8

27.0

27.2

27.4

27.6

27.8

28.0

28.2

28.4

28.6

28.8

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

YearMEAN 5 per. Mov. Avg. (MEAN)

Total Annual Rainf al l 1961 to 2000 in the Guinea Savanna

Zone

600.0

700.0

800.0

900.0

1000.0

1100.0

1200.0

1300.0

1400.0

1500.0

1600.0

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

RR 5 per. Mov. Avg. (RR)

77

Transitional Zone

Mean Annual Dai ly Temperature, 1961 to 2000 in the

Transi tinal Zone

26.2

26.4

26.6

26.8

27.0

27.2

27.4

27.6

27.8

28.0

28.2

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

MEAN 5 per. Mov. Avg. (MEAN)

MeanTotal annual Rainf al l 1961 to 1990 in the

Transi tional Zone.

900.0

1100.0

1300.0

1500.0

1700.0

1900.0

2100.0

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

RR 5 per. Mov. Avg. (RR)

88

Rain-Forest Zone 

Mean Annual Daily Temperature, 1961 to 2000 in the Rain-Forest Zone

25.5

26.0

26.5

27.0

27.5

28.0

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Year

MEAN 5 per. Mov. Avg. (MEAN)

Mean T otal Annual Rainf al l , 1961 to 1990 in the Rain-For est Zone

1000.0

1500.0

2000.0

2500.0

3000.0

3500.0

1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000

Y ear

RR 5 per . Mov. Avg. (RR)

99

INTRODUCTION con‘tINTRODUCTION con‘t

• Mainstreaming climate change policy in Ghana development plan is of major concern.

• Achievements of the goals of the Ghana Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRSII) and the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) are critical for national development.

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INTRODUCTION contINTRODUCTION cont

Ghana is currently preparing the National Adaptation Strategy on eight sectors of the Ghanaian Economy. These are Human Health, Agricultural Production-root and tuber crop production; Cocoa Production, Fisheries Production, Land Management, Water Resources, Poverty Linkages, and Women's Livelihood .

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ObjectivesObjectives

• Determine socio-economic impacts of climate change on the various sectors

• Raise awareness on climate change issues of the Ghanaian population.

• Involve policy makers and the “broad layers“ of the populatoin on climate change debate

• Propose various adaptation strategies

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Human HealthHuman Health

• Temperature rises will extend the habitats of vectors of diseases such as malaria.

• Increase temperatures of coastal waters would aggravate cholera epidemics in coastal areas.

• Threat to National Health Insurance Scheme by calling for more medical facilities with the increase demand resulting from more patients

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Agricultural ProductionAgricultural Production

• Employs about 70% of the Ghanaian population.

• Maize and other cereals production will reduce by 2.4% in the year 2020

• Cassava production will decrease by 43% the 2080• Cocoyam production will decrease from 65.2%

to 52.8% in 2080.

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Cocoa ProductionCocoa Production

• Cocoa production will be severely affected by decreased in soil fertility and increased diseases incidences and pathogens.

• Climate scenarios developed for year 2020, 2050 and 2080, which are based on 40 years of observed data(1960-2000), indicate that by 2080 cocoa cannot be grown in Ghana.

• Since this commodity is the main foreign exchange earner the occurrence of the above phenomenon will adversely affect national economy.

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Fisheries ProductionFisheries Production

• Inland fisheries will be rendered more vulnerable because of episodic drought and habitat destruction.

• Warming of Gulf of Guinea will modify ocean currents with possible impacts on coastal marine fisheries.

• The decline in this business will definitely have a adverse impact on the national economy.

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Water resourcesWater resources

• Increase in temperature as a result of climate change will thereby adversely affecting availability of surface water.

• The conversion factor of precipitation to run off has been very low averaging about 15%.

• In the Volta basin, their run off decreased by 30% over the past three decades.

• Recent low water level in the Akosombo Dam has threatened hydroelectric generation.

• Change in climatic variability will negatively impact on the Dam thereby directly affecting the national economy.

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Poverty LinkagesPoverty Linkages

• Climate change does affect food supply, water resources, energy supply and human health. This was based on research that was carried out in 110 districts in Ghana.

• In areas of high temperatures and low rainfall, the incidence of poverty was higher whiles districts that have high rainfall and relatively low temperatures have relatively low incidence of poverty.

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Women's Livelihood

• Women depend on their ecosystems for services e.g. food and energy.

• Women constitute 52% of the agricultural labour force and produce 70% of subsistence crops.

• Post harvest fisheries activities provide a livelihood opportunities for women.

• Women's livelihood are readily linked to adequate quantity and quality of water resources.

• Biomass energy accounts for large quantities of energy consumption for women in their livelihood.

• Sustainable development must give recognition to the livelihood of women.

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Biodiversity and Climate ChangeBiodiversity and Climate Change

• Climate change will affect land-cover species, water supply, fuel wood, and other ecological services.

• The formal and informal sectors of our economy are strongly based on natural resources: agriculture, logging, eco-tourism, pastoralism and mining.

• Climatic variability and change that alter the viability of these activities will have very high impact on our economy and ultimately on the national security.

2020

DesertificationDesertification

• Land degradation and precipitation. It alters patterns in temperature, rainfall, solar insulation, and winds. .

• The Guinea, Sudan and Coastal Savannah areas, the transition zones and even the forest regions have experienced declines in rainfall, resulting in decreases in soil fertility and agricultural, livestock, forest, and rangeland production.

• It will lead to socio-economic instability and unrest, increased rural-urban migration and potential increase in conflicts as result of limited available lands for farming

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Infrastructure developmentInfrastructure development

• Transport, housing and services represents substantial investment by our government.

• Floods, dust storms, and other extremes weather events would result in damage to settlements and infrastructure and affect human health.

• Major industries and the only two harbours are located along the coasts.

• Sea level rise, coastal erosion, salt water intrusion and flooding will have significant impacts on coastal communities and the economy as whole.

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Energy ResourcesEnergy Resources

• Basically fuel wood, hydro and thermal power

• Bio-diesel and gas fuel will provide energy security and produce less greenhouse gases thereby reducing climate change.

• Customers are advised to purchase appliances that are properly labeled.

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Adaptation options Adaptation options

Human Health• Public health educational campaign, • strengthen local participation in climate change issues, • early detection of diseases and early planning.

Agricultural Production• Planting of one variety with different maturity periods, • adopt integrated nutrient management, • changing cropping system, • breeding early maturing varieties, • integrating tree growing and crops, • efficient storage system and • integrating climate change into agriculture, growth and poverty

reduction.

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Adaptation contAdaptation cont

Cocoa Production• Improved farming practices This option involves;

• the use of drought tolerant and high yielding planting materials; • Zero tillage.• non-burning of vegetation and mulching for conservation of soil

moisture.• Planting temporary and permanent shade trees to moderate the

microclimatic and edaphic conditions of the cocoa environment.• Supplementary water application through irrigation.• Rehabilitation and restoration of degraded forest through forest

management techniques.

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Cont

Cocoa Production

• Alternative livelihoods

• Development of off-farm income generating activities (e.g. artisanal work and petty trading);

• Alternative land use activities (e.g. planting of other crops such as citrus, livestock farming and fish farming

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Adaptation contAdaptation cont

Water Resources• Artificial recharge of groundwater to reduce

evaporation• Building reservoirs on rivers with run-off at the

river intake points• Maintenance of water bodies and keeping them

functional • Reuse and recycling of industrial water and use

of dry cleaning technologies• Adoption of new technologies for growing crops

with less water

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Adaptation Cont

Poverty and Climate Change

• Research

• Insurance

• Strengthen government institutions

• Development of early warning systems

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Infrastructure Development

• Infrastructure development should be robust

• Development should be resilient and climate friendly

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Adaptation ContAdaptation Cont

Energy Resources and Climate Change• Energy efficient and conservation measures-

Investment in CFLs• Promotion clean energy technologies like solar

energy and LPG utilization• Renewable energy sources offer a better solution

to climate problems in addition to reducing C02.• Trees growing should be encouraged• Efficient Refrigeration to be backed by legislation • There should be a Renewable Energy law.• Development of renewable energy resources and

integrate them in to the National Energy mix.

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Adaptation contAdaptation cont

Women livelihood

• There is the need to create awareness among women on various developmental issues

• Extension services should be provided to women engaged in agriculture

• Women should be provided access to financial credit

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ConclusionConclusion

• Action aimed at both adaptation and mitigation can contribute to development

• Advancing development goals in a sustainable way should thus be central part efforts to address climate change in all countries.

• Emphasis on win-win policies that can simultaneously achieve development.

• Mainstreaming climate change in national development policies, plans and programmes