Unpacking climate impacts and energy transition at the Africa Climate Academy

Africa faces knowledge gaps that hinder engagements in the global energy transition, even as countries set ambitious net-zero targets and major oil companies shift toward cleaner energy.

The Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), a policy think tank, believes the continent needs fresh perspectives on the risks of oil dependence and the opportunities of the energy transition for inclusive growth and development.

“It is time for us to think how we can be part of the economic transformation from renewable energy, inspite of the challenges with climate change,” said Benjamin Boakye, ACEP Executive Director.

He was addressing the inaugural cohort of the Africa Climate Academy, an educational platform designed to reshape perceptions, build knowledge, foster collaboration, and empower advocacy for a sustainable future.

The Academy brought together policymakers, media professionals, civil society leaders, and academics to acquire the knowledge and tools to address Africa’s climate and energy challenges and drive sustainable action.

The primary goal of the energy transition is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, but a just transition will need Africa to be at the forefront of implementation.

Voices for Africa to go for nuclear energy have been strong, emphasizing that it’s cheaper and the option for industrialization.

Benjamin Boakye, however, believes “the argument that we cannot industrialize with renewable energy is being challenged due to improving technology to ease access to solar, among others”.

Failure of the Paris Agreement

Climate change is affecting every inhabited region across the globe, with human influence contributing to many observed changes in weather and climate extremes.

Human-induced climate change has contributed to increases in agricultural and ecological droughts in some regions due to evapotranspiration increases.

Prof. Nana Ama Browne Klutse, Head of the Department of Physics at the University of Ghana and Vice Chair of IPCC Working Group I, during a session, unpacked the evidence from the IPCC about the reality of climate change.

“The impact of climate change is affecting our environment and has the potential to destroy our very existence. It is affecting our habitat, the air we breathe, water we drink, the food we eat,” she said.

Global temperatures have already risen 1.36°C as at 2023 and will probably rise a further 3°, or even up to 4.5-5° by 2100.

Regional temperatures are rising; cold days, nights and frost have become rarer; hot days, nights and heat-waves are more frequent; extreme rainfall and flooding events are more frequent; extreme droughts and massive wildfires are more common; and in rural communities, forests and farmland are impacted, making crops and food scarce and expensive for all.

According to Prof, Klutse, there is a failure of the 2015 Paris Agreement on Climate Change and international commitments to emission reductions.

Assessments of current Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) suggest that these reductions, even if fully implemented, are unlikely to limit global temperature increases to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

“We’re slowly being boiled in a pot, but we’re not being ambitious in solutions to climate change,” observed the scientist. “We should not go beyond the tipping point. We need to ambitiously remove fossil fuels to control carbon dioxide emissions”.

Collection Action

Some extreme weather events observed over the past decade would have been extremely unlikely to occur without human influence on the climate system.

Dr. Daniel Tutu Benefoh, Acting Director of the Climate Change Unit at Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency, noted that the resource rich part of Africa have the most climate vulnerable people, hence it is important that climate change is carried to the belly of development and keep the conversation there.

He facilitated a session on Integrating Climate Change into Planning Frameworks, covering strategies for mainstreaming climate considerations, fostering inclusivity, monitoring progress, and overcoming implementation challenges.

The Africa Climate Academy is designed to transform the continent’s approach to climate action and shape the future of energy in Africa.

Dr Charles Gyamfi Ofori, Policy Lead, Climate Change and Energy Transition at ACEP, emphasized that the energy transition is real and presents several opportunities.

But he says “we have to be intentional in assessing the benefits,” adding that “continued investment, R&D and policy support is relevant for Africa”.

by Kofi Adu Domfeh

COP29: New text for a new climate finance goal released ahead of conference

Ahead of the major UN climate change conference, COP29 in Baku, the latest draft version of the wording for the new climate finance goal, known as the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG), has been released. 

 

This draft text could form the basis for the final negotiations at COP29 if Parties agree to build on it.

 

If accepted, this text will be critical in the negotiations as it guides Parties in their decision-making about adopting a robust and equitable finance deal at COP29. 

 

The Climate Action Network, along with other civil society organisations, says the Global North must start meeting the historical climate debt it owes to the Global South in the region of US$5 trillion per year, while bearing in mind that no amount of money can ever fully replace the lives lost to climate impacts.

 

The Global North can only begin clearing their debt with a COP29 agreement on finance that is made up of public money via grants, aimed at supporting the Global South in mitigating, adapting to, and recovering from the devastating impacts of escalating climate change, addressing loss and damage.

 

The new text presents both clarity and challenges, underscoring the urgent need to ensure that qualitative climate finance is delivered and grounded in equity, transparency, and accountability.

 

There are still unresolved issues, with many critical elements in brackets, which means they are still up for debate. At the same time, important components are missing.

 

Now more than ever, it is crucial to keep pressure on developed nations to meet their commitments, focusing on grants, not loans, and centering the voices of vulnerable communities.

What Must Happen Before COP29

 

Developed countries need to stop undermining the negotiations with delaying tactics and evading their historical responsibilities.

 

The structure of the new climate finance goal (NCQG) should remain straightforward, anchored in Article 9 of the Paris Agreement, and focused on the obligations of developed countries to mobilise and provide funding for developing nations.

 

For developing countries, it is crucial to remain vocal and clear about the scope and quality of the new finance goal.

 

Global financial architecture slow in addressing Africa’s climate finance needs – Report

A new assessment of Africa's position on reforms of the global financial infrastructure reveals slow progress in addressing the continent's need for climate financing, debt concerns, and lack of transparency.

 

The African Future Policies Hub has released a report highlighting the key challenges and opportunities facing African nations in the global financial system and climate finance landscape.

 

“The assessment shows little to no progress is being made on addressing the continent’s debt concerns, high cost of borrowing, and actual disbursements against financial commitments and pledges−putting into question transparency and accountability frameworks in the financing ecosystem,” said Maria Nkhonjera, Senior Policy Lead (Public Finance), African Future Policies Hub.

 

The report, titled "Assessing Progress Towards Reforming the Global Financial Architecture: An African Perspective,” outlines the urgent need for reforms to address imbalances in the IMF quota system, increase climate finance flows to Africa, and enhance the effectiveness of multilateral development banks.

 

“As we head to COP29 where financing decisions will be taken, it is important to also take stock of progress on the reforms that are said to help us generate the trillions of funding needed to finance climate action in developing countries,” noted Faten Aggad at the African Future Policies Hub. “Despite positive developments, there is clearly significant work that is still needed especially reforms requested by African countries based on their realities.”  

 

Here are key findings of the report:

 

Enhanced African Influence: The African Union's admission to the G20 and the appointment of a third sub-Saharan African representative to the IMF executive board has strengthened African representation in global financial infrastructure reforms.

 

Unresolved Quota imbalances: The IMF's quota system remains heavily skewed in favour of developed economies, with African nations holding a disproportionately small share.

 

Mixed Progress on Climate Finance: While advancements have been made in loss and damage mechanisms, commitments to adaptation finance and the delivery of climate finance commitments remain insufficient.

 

Multilateral Development Bank Reforms: MDB’s have initiated comprehensive reforms, but implementation has been uneven. A number of Africa’s priorities are yet to be operationalised, including the re-channeling of SDRs through the African Development Bank.

 

Capital Efficiency and Country Engagement: Progress in enhancing capital efficiency and transforming country engagement has been limited.

 

IDA Replenishment: African heads of state have called for a US$120 billion replenishment of the International Development Association, but major donors and World Bank management are only considering a US$105 billion benchmark.

 

G20 Common Framework for Debt Treatment: The G20 Common Framework remains unreformed, with limited progress in addressing high borrowing costs and lengthy debt resolution.

 

UN Tax Convention: Significant progress has been made towards establishing a legally binding UN tax convention, which could help address tax avoidance and evasion.

 

Global Climate Tax Standards and Trade Measures: There has been progress in advancing global climate taxes, but no progress on addressing unilateral climate-related trade measures.

 

Transparency in Climate Finance: Concerns remain over the transparency of "new and additional" climate finance, hindering effective climate action and resource allocation.

 

Debt-for-Climate and Nature Swaps: The use of debt-for-climate and nature swaps holds promise but has been limited in Africa.

 

New Collective Quantified Goal: African negotiators have called for the NCQG to be based on a needs-driven approach to address countries' significant financial needs for climate adaptation and mitigation.

 

Official Development Assistance: The UN has set a target for developed countries to allocate 0.7% of their Gross National Income to ODA, but funding levels have been declining.

 

The report calls for continuous political pressure on global financial leaders and targeted advocacy efforts to drive progress in the reform of the international financial system.

 

"Reforming the global financial architecture means many things, but from an African perspective, especially responding to the UNFCCC process, it appears clear that progress remains critically insufficient until and unless we see significant new and additional international provision of grant-equivalent finance to developing countries, on the scale of the hundreds of billions required, respectively, to equitably address mitigation, adaptation, and loss and damage needs," stated Iskander Erzini Vernoit, Imal Initiative for Climate and Development.

 

Upcoming negotiations offer a crucial opportunity for Africa to articulate its position and advocate for a system that truly supports its transformation and development goals.

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

 

Climate change exposed 2 billion to more than 30 days of health-threatening temperatures

Climate Central is set to release a new report, revealing that one in four people on the planet experienced climate change-driven temperatures every day in June, July, and August because of the burning of fossil fuels, such as oil, gas, and coal, and human activities.

 

Between June and August, 2 billion people were exposed to more than 30 days of health-threatening temperatures strongly influenced by climate change.

 

Human-induced heat worsened drought conditions all over the world, including in Russia, China, Italy and Ghana, leading to crop failures, prompting governments to declare emergency measures, and resulting in export bans.

 

72 countries experienced their hottest summer since at least 1970, significantly driven by climate change. 180 cities in the Northern Hemisphere experienced at least one extreme heatwave from June to August. These heatwaves are, on average, 21 times more likely today because of carbon pollution, mainly caused by burning coal, oil and gas.

 

“High temperatures that were clearly influenced by climate change jeopardized the health of billions around the world during the past three months,” said Andrew Pershing, vice president for science at Climate Central. “No region, country, or city is safe from the deadly threats posed by burning fossil fuels.”

 

Using Climate Central’s Climate Shift Index, this new analysis quantifies the impact of climate change on temperatures and estimates the number of people affected by these extreme conditions. It provides detailed data on heat exposure at global, regional, local levels, and in about 1,200 cities.

 

To estimate the risks of heat to human health, researchers looked at days in which temperatures were significantly hotter than the historical record — the “risky heat” days. Temperatures on these days are hotter than 90% of temperatures observed in a local area over the 1991-2020 period — this represents a minimum mortality threshold at which heat-related health risks climb statistically.

 

Key Findings:

 

Over 2 billion people (25% of the global population) experienced 30 or more days of risky heat that were made at least three times more likely by climate change.

 

More than 4 billion people faced unusual temperatures made at least three times more likely by climate change on August 13, the peak of the global heat.

 

During this record-breaking season, when 72 countries broke their heat record for the June-August period, few urban areas escaped the impacts of carbon pollution, mainly caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

 

The average person experienced 17 extra days of “risky heat” around the world because of climate change, representing a potential risk to global health.

 

Climate Central is a non-advocacy, non-profit science and news organization providing authoritative information to help the public and policymakers make sound decisions about climate and energy.

COP 29: African common position on climate finance and more endorsed by environment ministers

The African Ministerial Conference on the Environment (AMCEN) has adopted the African common position, highlighting the continent’s key priorities for the upcoming 29^th session of the Conference of Parties (COP29) of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

 

The 10^th special session of AMCEN, an annual gathering to discuss and strengthen environmental governance, was held in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire, under the theme: “Raising Africa’s Ambition to Reduce Land Degradation, Desertification, and Drought.”

 

A key agenda of AMCEN over the years is the African common position on climate change negotiations—a declaration containing key priorities and messages in the various themes of the climate negotiation process. 

 

The need to unlock climate finance has, for years, dominated the discussions for Africa, and it was equally the case at this year’s session, at which the importance of climate finance was highlighted and reiterated. 

 

It was reported that despite African countries submitting ambitious nationally determined contributions (NDCs) to the UNFCCC, there has not been corresponding support for their implementation. To achieve their NDCs, African countries need an estimated US$2.8 trillion between 2020 and 2030.

 

“The continent has been warming at a faster rate than the global average. From Algeria to Zambia, climate-driven disasters are getting worse, inflicting the most suffering on those who did least to cause them. In Africa, as in all regions, the climate crisis is an economic sinkhole, sucking the momentum out of economic growth. In fact, many African nations are losing up to 5% of GDP as a result of climate impacts,” observed Simon Stiell, UNFCCC Executive Secretary.

 

Ahead of COP29, the African Group of Negotiators on Climate Change (AGN) is prioritising the need for ambitious climate finance outcomes, said AGN Chair, Ali Mohamed, in his presentation on Africa’s priorities.

 

“We are particularly focusing on an ambitious New Quantified Goal on Climate Finance (NCQG) outcome that is based on evolving needs as reflected in developing countries’ NDCs, National Adaptation Plans, and other national climate planning and programming instruments.

 

“Our position includes; a quantum of $1.3trillion per annum by 2030; quality of finance that is informed by criteria including debt sustainability, cost of borrowing, and significantly from public sources, thus emphasizing grant and highly concessional finance; and transparent mechanisms in respect of accountability,” he said.  

 

The adopted AMCEN climate change decision further highlights the importance of adaptation to Africa, in the context of its well-known vulnerabilities to climate change, particularly in climate sensitive sectors such as agriculture and water, with cascading effects into the health sector.  

 

“As highlighted in the 2023 State of Climate Report in Africa, the continent remains on the front lines of fighting climate change and its impacts; from rising temperatures to shifting rainfall patterns, and other extreme weather events,” noted the AGN Chair.

 

“As a consequence, key sectors such as agriculture, water and health are in dire straits. Crumbling agricultural productivity and production due to either droughts or floods, water scarcity and rising temperatures are not only causing food insecurity but also leading to serious health challenges for the people. Both health and climate experts keep highlighting nutrition-related challenges, heat stress, occurrence and increase of certain infectious diseases such as malaria and waterborne illnesses, among others. A deeper understanding on this nexus is a must for effective adaptation”. 

 

Other key priorities for Africa contained in the adopted common position include; the call for the operationalization of the Loss and Damage Fund to support African countries in coping with the irreversible impacts of climate change and aid in the recovery of affected communities; equitable just transition in the context of Africa’s unique needs and development circumstances; the need to launch work on Africa’s special needs and special circumstances recognising Africa’s vulnerability; and finalisation of rules for carbon markets that are robust and deliver environmental integrity and the long-term goals of the Paris Agreement.  

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

Climate Change: Aggressive land use and agriculture to accelerate greenhouse gas emissions in West Africa

Greenhouse gas emissions in West Africa are expected to be accelerated by growing population, intensive agriculture and other aggressive land use changes.

 

Thus according to a new study, “Greenhouse Gas Determination in West Africa Agricultural Landscapes” (GreenGaDe) project, which shows the effects of increased emissions will contribute to heat-related health illnesses, influence climate change and impact on food production.

               

The project is embedded in the trans-disciplinary West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted land Use (WASCAL) and funded by the German Federal Minister of Education and Research (BMBF).

 

The study, conducted by scientists from Germany, Ghana, Burkina Faso and Niger, focused on the emission of primary greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide that contribute to global warming.

 

These gases absorb long-wave radiation hindering the heat from escaping into outer space, ultimately causing global warming and climate change. The effects of this phenomenon have become pronounced with population growth and agricultural expansion.

 

The researchers sought to inform climate adaptation policies and promote climate-smart agriculture among smallholder farmers, who are being admonished to set up tree canopies to preserve carbon pools in soil and vegetation.

 

“Forests in agricultural ecological systems are important. They facilitate carbon storage, mitigating the impact of climate change, and the like. In the future climate change will be more severe and I would encourage farmers to look into the future and improve their carbon field by developing more tree canopies,” said Prof. Anja Linstaedter, Consortium Principal Investigators of the GreenGaDe Project.

 

Food production systems are responsible for 19-29% of global greenhouse gas emissions. In developing countries, 90% of the emissions originate from agriculture and deforestation. But it is not known how much greenhouse gasses are released by different agricultural systems and management practices.

 

The GreenGaDe project has the goal of providing policymakers and managers with data and predictions to serve as a clear basis for decision-making.

 

The study aims to quantify carbon pool dynamics and GHG emitted under different land use practices, and to improve stakeholders' understanding of GHG dynamics in the West African region.

 

A stakeholders’ workshop in West Africa’s agricultural landscapes explored stronger collaborations to improve agriculture and climate related issues.

 

“Nitrous oxide emissions occur mostly through agricultural activities associated with increased use of synthetic fertilizers, deposition of animal excreta (urine and dung), disproportionate application of manure to farmlands, and inefficient use of irrigation water,” said Dr. Reginald Guuroh, principal investigator for the Ghana project team.

 

“One aspect is the engagement of farmers, testing their practices and their knowledge. And farmers have been educated and waiting on the adoption of climate-smart adoptions. And our partners have been very helpful in finding results,” he said.

 

Specialists from agronomy, forestry, modelling, environmental chemistry and monitoring and sociology from Germany and three West African countries worked on the project, examining and comparing different agro-ecosystems in West Africa, including forests, open savannahs, pastures and fields.

 

By Kofi Adu Domfeh

 

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