Accra, Oct. 21, GNA – The Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) has launched its first five-year Accra Climate Action Plan (2020-2025) to pursue developments that will ensure “a smart, resilient and sustainable city” for the residents.
The Plan focuses on five key areas with the highest on greenhouse gas reduction impact and the ability to spur economic growth and enhance quality of lives.
Actions would be on solid waste and waste water; buildings and industry; transportation; land use and physical planning and mainstreaming the climate threat in development processes.
It was developed with the principles of inclusivity, participation and ownership with contributions of all levels of society, including; national, sub-national, local authorities, identifiable groups, traditional authorities, formal and informal sector operatives.
Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive in an address said Accra had become the second C40 City in Africa after Ethikwini (Durban) and the first in West Africa and Ghana to launch the Climate Action Plan.
He said the Plan was compatible to the Paris Agreement and aimed at reducing emissions by 27 per cent below business-as-usual by the year 2030, 46 per cent by 2040 and attain a total reduction of 73 per cent of business-as-usual scenario by 2050.
He said all projections and research indicated the world’s population would increase by another two billion people in the next 30 years and majority of this increase would be seen in global south cities like Accra.
“Ghana’s urban population has more than tripled over the last three decades, and although this urbanization has contributed to the country’s economic growth, it has also come with challenges for urban centres,” Mr Sowah said.
He said: “The shadows of past floods and prospects of flooding whenever there are heavy rains has not escaped us. It is interesting to note that even though average rainfall in Accra has reduced by 2.4 per cent since 1960, the rate of flooding has rather increased.”
The Chief Executive said the Environmental protection Agency has reported a one degree Celsius rise in average temperatures since 1960, adding; “These simply mean, if we do not act now to mitigate climate change, Accra could potentially lose close to 20 per cent of rainfall by 2050 and experience a further 21 extra days a year, where temperatures would average 40 degree Celsius or above by 2050”
Mr Sowah said the World Bank estimated that, the floods of June 2015, caused losses of property and businesses of close to 150 million dollars in Accra, putting a strain on the insurance sector, causing social and economic disruptions and trauma.
He said experience and reportage of tidal erosion at the beaches of Chorkor and Gbegbeyese in Accra and around Tema, Elmina, Sekondi and Keta and other areas of Ghana were stark reminders of the increasing negative impacts of climate change.
“Accra as a low-lying area would suffer the loss of coastline up to 150m inland, if we experience sea-level rise of just 20cm according to Ghana’s Third National Communication, published in 2015. The harsher droughts experienced in the north of Ghana and its attendant out-migration by our brothers and sisters are concerns that we must be aware of,” he said.
Mr Sowah said the city was comprised of approximately 80 per cent informal sectors and the majority of citizens and city dwellers were vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
“These negative experiences and potential consequences are a call to act now, hence the launch of the Climate Action Plan,” he said.
Professor Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng, the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation commended the AMA for the development of the Climate Action Plan, which would help lower the greenhouse gas emissions.
He said stepping up climate action, especially at the local level was critical to achieving global climate targets, adding that; “After all, it is the aggregation of local actions that contributes to global success; therefore the launch of this Plan is not only appropriate but timely.”
Prof Frimpong-Boateng said since the coming into force of the Paris Agreement in November 2016, Ghana has demonstrated strong commitments to implement its 31 ambitious climate actions in the prioritized sectors of agriculture, transport, forestry, energy, health, waste, water and gender to achieve the goal of the Agreement.
“Despite the pressing challenges that confront the entire world, Ghana under the leadership of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has not related on taking serious steps to deal with climate change,” he said.
GNA