The Environment Report, a non-profit media advocacy platform has urged the media to prioritise climate change issues as Ghana goes to the polls to elect a new leader on December 7. It said in a statement that, Ghana is having its fair share of the climate change effects including food shortage, migration as well as many people being rendered homeless. It said, there is also the evidence extreme weather events, rising sea levels, disruptions to ecosystems and livelihoods, loss of biodiversity, health risks, and high agricultural prices due to erratic water supply. “Unfortunately, these challenges are also exacerbated by illegal mining and logging in forest reserves, river pollution, poor agricultural practices, and open waste burning. Furthermore, activities by certain companies contribute to climate change, leading to floods that affect local communities who bear no responsibility for these issues. These issues and challenges undermine Ghana’s ability to achieve set targets for SDG 13, 15 and also 6 which are all crucial supporting sectors for our socio-economic development”, the statement said.
File Photo (Some of the effect of Climate Change in Ghana
The statement noted that, despite these pressing problems, government efforts to address environmental degradation have been inadequate and this is evident in the ongoing destruction of forests, water bodies, air, and land. The NGO therefore described it as imperative for the Ghanaian media to prioritise the issue of climate change in their daily work, especially when Ghana is preparing for the December 7 general elections and all parties have come out with their manifestoes. “We will urge the media to scrutinize these manifestoes and let the public know about what the parties are promising about climate change and what they intend doing to deal with the issue of climate change. This will ultimately help the public to make an informed decision as they vote to elect their new leader”, it said. It said, ahead of the December 7, 2024 elections, the Environment Report under the Connecting Communities, Climate and Politics for tomorrow (3CP for Tomorrow) project would also be engaging the general populace in the Upper East, Northern, Volta, Western, and Ashanti regions on climate change issues. The aim, according to the NGO, is to engage the populace and raise awareness of climate change issues in Ghana and also provide a platform for them to question or scrutinise the various policies put in place by the various political parties in addressing climate change issues ahead of the general elections.