Kofi Adu Domfeh writes: Is Ghana serious in facing climate change realities?

Close to one million Ghanaian farmers are at risk of losing their investments to a prolonged dry spell.

 

Already, half of these farmers have their livelihoods hanging in the balance. They planted their crops in vain because the rains failed them and they had no alternative means to moist their soils to reap good yields on their farms.

 

The Ghanaian government is already mobilising GH₵8 billion (US$500million) relief package to assist farmers in 8 of the country’s 16 regions grappling with the devastating effects of the ongoing dry spell.

 

But this is only the latest impact of the weather variation on farmers. In recent times, the country’s cocoa sector has been threatened by unfavourable weather conditions – high temperature and excessive rainfall.

 

The Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD) partly attributed the decline in the production of cocoa beans for the 2023/2024 crop season to the adverse effects of El Niño.

 

COCOBOD CEO, Joseph Boahen Aidoo, explained the climate phenomenon has significantly impacted cocoa supply globally, resulting in substantial losses to producers.

 

“We all know that we are not in normal times, the presence of El Niño has affected our production not just in Africa but Europe also,” he said.

 

Acknowledging the climate phenomenon is a good step. But scientists forewarned Ghana, long before getting here.

 

In 2011, climate scientists at the Colombia-based International Centre for Tropical Agriculture, CIAT, predicted that the expected increasing temperatures will lead to massive declines in cocoa production in Ghana and other cocoa-growing areas in West Africa by 2030.

 

Their report also revealed that an expected annual temperature rise of more than two degrees Celsius by 2050 will leave the cocoa-producing areas too hot for chocolate.

 

Warmer conditions mean the heat-sensitive cocoa trees will struggle to get enough water during the growing season, curtailing the development of cocoa pods, containing the prized cocoa bean.

The climate change realities are here

 

The World Bank Group’s 2022 Country Climate and Development Report posited that Ghana’s economic and human development is vulnerable to climate change and climate-related shocks.

 

Since 1960, Ghana’s average annual mean temperature has increased by around 1 degree Celsius. Rainfall has also become more erratic.

 

“Without prompt global and local climate actions, higher temperatures and heat stress will affect crop and labor productivity,” said the Bank.

 

Dr. Shalom Addo-Danso, a Senior Research Scientist with Ghana’s Forestry Research Institute, has observed the current changes in the weather pattern and other extreme events clearly show the realities of climate change and variability and its impact on the country.

 

“The available data and observations point to temperature increase in the last few years across all the agroecological zones and irregular but more intense rainfall,” he noted. “The irregular but intense rainfall is oftentimes accompanied by long dry spell durations. Even the average number of ‘hot’ days and nights have increased in recent times. These changes are posing serious risk to many sectors of the economy, especially the cocoa sector. The projections show that the duration of dry spells will likely increase, which may increase drought conditions.”

 

Ghana has ambitious climate change commitments under its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

 

International climate financing remains critical for Ghana to effectively implement its NDCs, but the government of Ghana must demonstrate commitment to mobilizing internal resources and making budgetary allocations to deal with the pressing climate events that threaten lives and livelihoods.

 

Time to get serious with adaptation mechanisms

 

The government of Ghana is worried about the food security implication of the current dry spell hitting farming. This has informed a ban of export of grains like maize, rice and sorghum to avert local shortages.

 

But farmer-based organisations have raised objections; the government’s decision to ban grain export will have dire income and livelihood consequences. Some of these farmers have contracts with foreign entities to plant grains, which will be impacted by the ban.

 

They rather would want to be in production than their productivity strangle.

These farmers, mainly smallholder and subsistent, are most vulnerable when they cannot access irrigation facilities.

 

The Concerned Farmers Association of Ghana, for instance, has questioned the government’s priorities, citing the abandoned Pwulugu Dam Project, which has already consumed $12million in investment.

 

“We need modern irrigation systems, not reliance on rain-fed agriculture which is outdated,” said the group.

 

Due to the new realities of the impacts of climate change, adaptation should become integral to the development agenda at all levels of society. But adaptation will depend on different sectors and their vulnerabilities and adaptive capacities.

 

Dr. Addo-Danso suggests three options for communities to build resilience:

 

First, there is the need to implement the country’s National Adaptation Plan Framework, which was developed in 2018. The Plan seeks to address climate change adaptation in a more holistic, integrated and coordinated manner. This is important because policies and strategies provide the framework within which actions could be implemented sustainably.

 

Secondly, given that local communities are more vulnerable to climate change, attention should focus on community-based adaptation strategies – measures that place local communities at the center by empowering them to reduce their vulnerabilities and build their resilience to climate shocks. These include building on local knowledge of weather conditions to raise awareness on climate change, building their capacities on poverty and disaster risks reduction strategies, and addressing gender disparities, which will help communities to plan and cope with the risks and impacts of climate change.

 

Thirdly, poor communities often depend on land-based activities and natural resources for their livelihoods and survival, so adopting ecosystem-based approaches is critical for climate change adaptation. These approaches harness the benefits of conservation, management and restoration of ecosystems such as forests, grasslands, wetlands and rivers; and using biodiversity and the services provided by ecosystems to reduce the vulnerabilities of communities and build their resilience to climate risks.

 

Reducing exposure of farmers to climate risks

 

The current impact of the dry spell on food security has been described as a symptom of a long neglect of erecting irrigation systems across the country.

 

While climate change cannot be solved by any single country, local actions can help manage physical and transition risks as well as bring large opportunities, says the World Bank.

 

To many farmers in Ghana, poor irrigation continues to be the bane of productivity, with no sustainable efforts by successive governments to deal with the situation.

 

Jacob Naja, one of the farmers worst affected by the dry spell at Akapuka in the Pru East District of the Bono Region, pleads for urgent measures to be adopted in ensuring all-year water supply for agriculture.

 

The Ministry of Food and Agriculture has noted that the establishment of 574 dams under the government’s ‘One Village, One Dam’ policy has been effective in holding rainwater for use by farmers.

 

However, the sector minister, Bryan Acheampong, has acknowledged the need for farmers to access irrigation facilities, which require pumping water from a big water source into a big canal or dam to hold the water.

 

What farmers expect is the demonstration of commitment to deliver this essential need, especially small irrigation systems, for all-year-round production.

 

As the most vulnerable to weather changes and climate variability, farmers would also need to diversify their livelihood investments and reduced their exposure to climate risk.

 

“One of the best options is for them to adopt climate-smart agriculture practices such as planting different crop varieties, and incorporating trees into their cropping systems including nitrogen-fixing species,” said Dr. Shalom.

 

“Farmers also need access to climate information; they should be able to plant drought-tolerant varieties, adopt rain harvesting techniques and mulching, as well as use treated manure and organic fertilizers. These practices ensure increases in farming system productivity and incomes, and at the same time help them to build resilience to climate change,” he noted.

 

Kofi Adu Domfeh is a journalist and a Climate Reality Leader. Email: adomfeh@gmail.com

Food security in Ghana threatened by prolonged dry spell

Ghana’s food security is threatened by an alarming dry spell that has already wreaked havoc to farmers and agricultural production.

Over 435 thousand farmers in the country, cultivating an estimated area of 871,745 hectares have been directly affected by the prolonged dry spell.

 

These affected farmers are reported to have lost about GH₵ 3.5 billion in investments, with a lot more farmers also at risk, indicating possible severe food shortages and soaring prices.

 

As a measure to ensure food security and until the situation normalizes, the government has announced an immediate ban on the export of key grains, including maize, rice, and soybean.

 

"This measure is essential to ensure the availability of these critical crops on the domestic market,” stated the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong.

 

The dry spell leads to crop failure, which results in low productivity or yield on the farm, and eventually high prices of food on the market. The eight impacted regions of the country contribute about 62% of the country’s grain supply.

 

But there are skepticisms among farmers over the government’s proposed interventions.

 

President of the Association, Bismark Owusu Nortey, says the farmers will lose out to the ban as they may be compelled to sell their produce at cheap prices to avert post-harvest losses.

 

“They did not take on board the views, the concerns and the possible challenges that this might have on farmers,” he said.

 

The national weather forecaster, GMET, indicates although the five Northern regions could see some rains in the coming weeks, the transition belt - the Bono East and Oti regions - will suffer a prolonged period of dry weather.

 

“We’re expecting a little bit drier spell around the Kintampo, Wenchi, Atebubu, Ketekrachi areas. For the minor season, the rest of the country would have a shorter dry spell. Then towards the northern fringes of the country, we’re expecting the rainfall to pick up,” said Francisca Martey, Head of Research and Applied Meteorology at the Ghana Meteorological Agency.

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

 

Climate Change: Malawi hosts LDCs strategy and Ministerial meeting

Malawi, serving as the Chair of the Least Developed Countries (LDC) Group on Climate Change, is hosting the LDC Strategy and Ministerial Meetings from 26^th to 28^th August 2024 at Bingu Wa Mutharika International Convention Centre (BICC).

 

This crucial and timely gathering will unite high-level representatives, including ministers, climate negotiators, and experts from all 45 LDCs, marking a significant step in the global climate dialogue.

 

Under the theme "Uniting for 1.5°C – Aligned Climate Action and Resilient Futures," the meeting will focus on reviewing progress in international climate negotiations, addressing critical issues, and crafting strategies to ensure impactful engagement at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

 

Participants will align on priorities, set goals, and explore future strategies while building support for LDC-led initiatives.

 

This meeting follows a technical strategy session held in March in Lilongwe and the 60th UNFCCC Subsidiary Bodies (SB 60) sessions in Bonn, Germany. The leaders will tackle highly important topics such as the New Collective Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG), the remaining rules on Article 6 on carbon trading, mitigation outcomes for COP29, financing to address loss and damage, and common position on matters related to the Global Goal on Adaptation (GGA).

 

Evans Njewa, Chair of the LDC Group, highlighted the meeting’s significance: “This gathering represents a crucial moment in our unified efforts to achieve an ambitious outcome at COP29. Our goal is clear: to set an ambitious new goal for climate finance that reflects the needs of our countries, to limit global temperature rise to below 1.5°C and bolster resilience in our most vulnerable nations.”

 

Njewa stressed the LDCs’ commitment to impactful action: “The outcomes of this meeting will be instrumental in shaping our collective positions and priorities moving forward. The Lilongwe meeting will play a key role in setting a unified agenda for the LDCs, strengthening our negotiating stance at COP29, and advancing towards a sustainable and resilient global climate framework.”

 

Highlights of the meeting will culminate into the Lilongwe Declaration, accompanied by a detailed report and follow-up plan, reflecting positions informed by latest climate science, the needs of LDCs and the overall outcomes of the Global Stocktake (GST).

 

This declaration will be shared with participants and relevant LDC representatives to ensure a unified approach at COP29, aiming to raise ambitions and address the urgent need for financial support for the most vulnerable countries.

 

Climate Change: Africa bemoans lack of financial and technical support for NDC implementation

The African continent has not received sufficient financial and technical support to effectively implement, track and report on their current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) even as countries build momentum towards a new set of NDCs.

Adan Bare Duale of Kenya’s Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry says the lack of clarity on the amount of current and future funding, capacity building and technical support required to implement NDCs undermines the transparency of support framework under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

“As countries are building momentum towards a new set of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), the African continent has not received sufficient financial and technical support to effectively implement, track and report on their current NDCs,” Mr. Duale told the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) COP29 Preparatory Meeting in Nairobi, Kenya. “We also lack clarity on the amount of current and future funding, capacity building and technical support required to implement our NDCs. This vagueness undermines the transparency of support framework under the Paris Agreement and should be prioritized in the upcoming negotiations”.

The Cabinet Secretary reiterated Africa’s climate-induced socio-economic challenges and outlined the continent’s priorities for COP29 scheduled for Baku, Azerbaijan in November.

“African countries have seen major droughts and floods; storms and cyclones have intensified and become more frequent, while the financial and technical capacity of the continent to adapt to climate change and increasing climate and natural hazards continues to be limited,” he said, adding that by 2050, negative climate impacts could cost African countries up to USD 50 billion annually.

“Our priority, therefore, is to increase the ability to adapt to the adverse impacts of climate change and foster climate resilience and low greenhouse gas emissions development, in a manner that does not threaten food production. A crucial and most urgent objective of this meeting is to prepare our common position paper for COP29. Firstly, finance will lie at the heart of climate diplomacy at COP29 as a critical enabler of climate action. Climate finance is flowing to the continent at an insufficient scale and in unequal directions. Securing a strong favourable finance deal at COP29 is therefore vital,” he stated.

 

Priorities on Climate Finance and Adaptation

 

Another priority area is adaptation and loss and damage for Africa as climate impacts worsen. COP29 is deemed a pivotal opportunity to prioritize adaptation and loss and damage and secure the necessary financial and technical assistance to close the adaptation finance gap.

AGN Chair, Ali Mohamed, urged negotiators not to lose focus on Africa’s key priorities of finance and adaptation in the context of the continent’s sustainable development and poverty eradication agenda.

“As we deliberate, the bigger picture for us remains climate finance and adaptation as we strive to achieve our sustainable development objectives as a continent. It is clear that our development challenges, which include high poverty levels, poor access to energy, clean water, food security and primary health care amidst a debt crisis, are already being compounded by climate change. It follows therefore that finance is at the pinnacle of our challenges and must be addressed, even as we strive to meet our climate obligations,” he said.

The African common position for COP29 is envisaged to be presented to the African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) and the Committee of African Heads of State on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) next month for consideration and adoption.

The common position includes elements that are considered a priority for Africa and for COP29, climate finance and adaptation rank top on the list.

“Africa's unified position on climate finance, adaptation, and ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) reflects the continent's unwavering commitment to sustainable development and resilience. The energy transition journey we embark on today is not just about shifting resources but redefining Africa's future in a way that prioritizes both people and the planet. UNEP looks forward to working with the Africa Group of Negotiators on Climate to enhance global support for a green inclusive climate resilient future," said Dr Rose Mwebaza UNEP Africa Regional Director.

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

COP29: New report makes five bold recommendations for successful negotiations on the new climate finance goal

A new report by the IMAL Initiative for Climate & Development has outlined five recommendations that will help to boost confidence and build trust among countries in the ongoing negotiations on the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) ahead of COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The report, ‘‘Rebuilding Confidence and Trust after the $100 billion: Recommendations for the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG)’’, recommends how to plug the ‘‘trust deficit’’ that has historically plagued climate finance negotiations.

"This report comes at a crucial time in the negotiations over the NCQG. Countries must seize the opportunity to learn the lessons of the $100bn before it is too late. Not doing so risks a breakdown of trust in the post-Paris regime and a failure to deliver international finance as required to achieve climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a just response to loss and damage," said Iskander Erzini Vernoit, director of IMAL and co-author of the report.

This year has been billed as the ‘‘year of finance’’, with efforts ongoing under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to find consensus on the NCQG, the new climate finance goal.

Countries globally, also known as Parties, are required to agree on the climate finance goal at this year’s COP29 in Baku. If agreed on, the new fund will effectively replace the $100 billion per year goal introduced at COP15 in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 2015.

The NCQG process has failed to yield a common position so far, triggering fears that COP29 might end without an agreement.

Failure by developed countries to provide adequate finance for adaptation and mitigation and loss and damage under the NCQG could upend the outcome of COP29, and consequently, have serious implications for the UN climate regime that has come under sharp scrutiny in recent years.

To repair trust and rebuild confidence among Parties in the ongoing NCQG debate, therefore, the report recommends the following: A needs-based approach to setting the quantum: ‘Taking into account the needs and priorities of developing countries’; a constituent structure of thematic subgoals: Mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage; the commitment for climate finance to be ‘‘new and additional’’ has been interpreted differently, and so a common definition is needed; Developed nations must clarify ‘the “fair share’’ of climate finance per country, to address laggards; countries should have a common understanding of the balance of finance between concessional loans and grants versus non-concessional loan-based finance instruments.

The authors of the report emphasise that parties must be vigilant to avoid a repeat of the events at COP15 in Copenhagen where the talks collapsed in what is now widely regarded as the ‘‘most acrimonious moment’’ in the history of the UNFCCC.

"Our report explores critical areas where differing interpretations of the $100 billion climate finance commitment have eroded trust in developed countries among developing nations, especially on issues like additionality, fair shares, and concessionality,” said Skounti, Researcher at IMAL and co-author of the report. “We propose a needs-based NCQG must include a core provision goal measured in grant-equivalent terms, with clear subgoals for adaptation, mitigation, and loss and damage, aiming to rebuild confidence and establish a more transparent climate finance framework."

Climate Finance Needs

Today, the total climate finance needs in developing countries are estimated to be more than $1 trillion in public finance support per year until 2030. This money is required to finance mitigation, adaptation and loss and damage as enshrined under the Paris Agreement.

These developing countries, many of them in Africa, face acute poverty, underdevelopment and mounting public debt, thus limiting their ability to invest in climate action.

At the same time, commitments by wealthy nations to provide $100 billion annually to poor nations have been in many respects unmet, even as the effects of climate change continue to devastate populations and livelihoods in the Global South.

Experts warn that further delays and ambiguities in the negotiations will have far-reaching implications for vulnerable and poor nations that urgently need finance to develop and build the resilience and adaptive capacity of their communities.

The report argues that ambiguities surrounding the $100 billion commitment are significantly to blame for a breakdown in trust in developed countries among developing countries.

Further, the report identifies five areas of the $100bn commitment where interpretations have diverged, thus undermining trust and compromising finance flows: These are: Different interpretations of the commitment that climate finance be ‘new and additional’; Divergence on the fair share of climate finance from individual developed countries; Misunderstandings on achieving a balance in finance between different thematic areas of climate action; Divergence on concessional debts and grants versus non-concessional debt-based finance instruments; The appropriate institutional channels for finance, including multilateral development banks (MDBs).

‘‘In addition to delays, debate over fundamental accounting issues for this finance also contributed to frustrations. Driving scepticism about the developed countries’ commitment to the Paris goals, the $100bn experience has contributed to the unfortunate end of the ‘esprit de Paris’ spirit of collaboration,’’ write authors Said Skounti and Iskander Erzini Vernoit.

If humanity is to overcome climate change, the world must “unlock action at a scale commensurate with the climate crisis”, insist the authors.