Climate change adaptation in Ghana

Ghana’s economy is heavily dependent on climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, which makes the protection and preservation of the natural environment a necessary pre-condition for the creation of a robust food system[5] The agriculture and livestock sectors are the backbone of Ghana’s food security and economy, as they employ over 50% of the 32 million population of Ghana.[6][7] Agriculture constitutes 33 percent of the country’s gross domestic product and serves as the source of livelihood for over 50 percent of the population. The effects of climate change, as evident in rising temperatures and the extreme incidence of drought, are of particular concern, as they result in a range of direct and indirect impacts affecting the agriculture and livestock sectors.[3]

Water resources in Ghana are already affected by climate variability, and are highly vulnerable to climate change. Climate change impacts may affect the quantity and quality of water available for human consumption at a given time[8] as well as for agriculture, industry, and hydropower. Temperature increases may decrease river runoff, and changes in precipitation may affect both runoff and groundwater recharge.[9]

Studies have indicated that more than half of the diseases in Ghana are linked to climate vulnerability and climate change.[3] It is projected that climate change may lead to higher infection rates of diseases such as malaria and meningitis. As climatic conditions change, vectors of parasites that cause diseases like malaria, yellow fever, etc have been found in regions where they were not found originally.[10] The sensitivity of different populations to climate change-related impacts on health may be exacerbated by poverty-related issues such as malnutrition and poor sanitation. In addition, the country’s adaptive capacity, or its ability to anticipate, be prepared for, and respond to these impacts, are limited as factors such as a low number of health facilities and medical personnel will result in limited access to health care.[3]

• Initial National Communication (2001): Provides an inventory of greenhouse gas emissions, a vulnerability and adaptation assessment, a mitigation and abatement analysis, plans for education and public awareness, and potential adaptation and mitigation projects.
• National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (NCCAS): Utilizes a participatory approach and incorporates sectoral vulnerability and adaptation assessments carried out by national experts to develop priority adaptation programs
• National Adaption Plan (NAP): The NAP process was initiated under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2010 to address medium- and long-term climate adaptation needs in developing countries.[11]
• Ghana’s Adaptation Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change 2021: Ghana’s first Adaptation Communication (AdCom) takes stock of what has been done and what has been achieved; it also looks at existing gaps and what else needs to be accomplished to consolidate Ghana’s adaptation gains going forward.[1]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) [12]is an independent environmental regulatory agency within the Government of Ghana with the responsibility of ensuring Ghana’s environmental quality through environmental regulation and enforcement, and mainstreaming environmental concerns within the development process at the national, regional, and district levels. The implementation of climate change adaptation projects and the mainstreaming of climate change adaptation throughout the government and private sector are carried out by the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI).