CLIMATE CHANGE: AKATSI RESIDENTS URGED TO MITIGATE IMPACT

Residents in the Akatsi North District in the Volta Region, are admonished to desist from environmental practices to mitigate the impact of climate change in the District.

Dr. Portia Adade Williams, a Research Scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), who presented a report on rapid climate change for validation, called for behaviour change among residents to reverse the looming threat of climate change.

The report was based on a research conducted in some rural communities in the District.

Touching on some key findings of the research, Dr. Williams mentioned decline in water resources, dried up water bodies, decrease in underground water table, soil degradation, loss of soil moisture, soil erosion and nutrient depletion which negatively impacted the environment.

She added that changes in biodiversity habitat and ecosystems, decline in forest reserve, medical plants species and non-timber forest products crucial for local livelihood had heavy toll on women rather men.

She further noted that poor sanitation which resulted in cholera, increased temperatures which caused some heat related diseases, poor crop yields among others were the consequences of climate change.

She, therefore, appealed to residents to plant drought-resistant crops and trees, practice biodiversity as an effective adaptation measure, irrigation, water harvesting and re-used, sensitization and awareness creation to minimize the negative impact on the environment.

Dr. Williams recommended the strengthening of infrastructure, promotion of gender equity in resource access, diversifying livelihoods and improvement in agricultural practices.

She added that addressing the health and education needs of the people would help to build community resilience and said the research findings would be integrated into national policies and planning.

Madam Rubby Sitsope Besagah, the District Coordinating Director, said the Strengthening Investment in Gender-Responsive Climate Adaptation (SIGRA) project was a five-year partnership programme between Cowater Ghana and the Ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Religious Affairs.

She said it was intended to partner Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs), and the Volta Regional Coordinating Council (VRCC) to enhance climate adaptation investment.

Madam Besagah urged participants, especially women who were mostly affected by climate change to actively contribute to the validation process to ensure that the results in the findings truly reflected the situation in the District.