UDS researches climate change to improve livelihoods up north

The University for Development Studies (UDS) has initiated a project dubbed “Grass for Carbon” (G4C) as part of it mandate to help communities in their operational areas to cope with climate change effects.

The Pro-Vice Chancellor of the university Prof. David Millar who disclosed this to the Enquirer in an exclusive interview said that the proposed research would identify viable economic, fire resistance and carbon absorber wild grasses, nurture them as part of efforts to protect and strengthen the vegetation cover of the north to check climate change. “the proposed “Grass 4 Carbon” is a 4-year “critical research” with the focus on the development of wild grasses that are both good carbon absorbers, fire resistance and economic”, he said. The proposed research according to Prof. Millar would also examine the possibility of using grasses for energy using new technology to transform it into forms of charcoal to replace the excessive tree cutting for firewood or charcoal that contributed to the depletion of the forest.

Prof. Millar explained that the proposed research on carbon trading would give clear understanding the local dynamics of climate adaptation and coping mechanisms and seeks novel ways to pre-empt the worst effects of climate change.  The Pro-VC who would be leading the research team explained that the study was necessary to comprehend not just the changes that are taking place but more importantly, the coping strategies employed by the local populations to mitigate the negative effects of climate change.

“The research will also allow for a clearer understanding of the various dynamics of the local livelihood situations and what new strategies may be introduced to assist these poor and vulnerable people to cope with the effects of climate change”, he said.

 Prof. Millar said the university however was seeking funding support from the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA), international and local Non-governmental Organizations (NGOs), and other interested organizations in climate change issues to come onboard to support their course saying the project has the potential to mitigate or reduce the carbons emitted into the atmosphere and at the time same promote livelihoods. Research had shown that grasses are good absorbers of carbons with potentials of reducing carbon in the air by 65%  that would lessens the risk carbons poses to Ozon layer that protect the earth from dangerous heat or chemicals dangerous to lives.

The proposed “Grass 4 carbons” research by the university when commence would be the first comprehensive research on climate change in the region and for that matter Ghana that relates climate change to livelihoods.

The Pro-VC said that the research does not only aimed to boost northern economy, and reduce carbons in the atmosphere, bush fires, and tree felling but also aimed to enhance weaving industry to attract investors and tourists into the region.

“The project’s “economic grasses” are those that are used in the baskets, hats, and furniture weaving industry”, Prof. Millar explained.

He said that the university which operates under the pro-poor policies was not only committed to academic works but also to policies and programmes that support community livelihoods improvement.

The UDS he pointed out was challenged following limited researches that have been done on climate change variability that does not relate climate change to livelihoods in northern Ghana where evidence of the effects of climate change was obvious.

The northern Ghana which covers about 40% of total mass of Ghana is the most populated region whose people depended largely on fire wood as their source of energy while agriculture is the mainstay of the people’s livelihoods. There is also widespread of shifting cultivation system of farming, bush burning that turned the region into semi-desert.

The Climate change which is currently a global topic has re-awakened to calls to states to rethink their environmental laws, policies and programmes that would ensure good and acceptable environmental practices. The scientific researches clearly established that both natural and anthropogenic factors contribute to climate change. However, many related issues remain unresolved, including the extent of the impact of those two factors and their interplay. The question of scientific uncertainty with regard to the causes of climate change and its impact is still a debatable global issue.

Ayariga: Lack of rural banks impedes Gov’t agric policy

Francis Npong, Tamale

T he National Coordinator of Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP) Mr. Roy Ayariga has called on the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the northern region to facilitate the establishment of rural banks to widen the cope of farmers’ access to financial or loan facilities. According to the Coordinator, the lack of rural banks particularly in northern region was impeding the progress of NRGP and other government agricultural initiatives aimed to empower local farmers and therefore called on MMDAs in the region to make frantic efforts to facilitate the establishment of rural banks in each district to help empower farmers to increase crop production. Mr. Ayariga made the called when he briefed the Enquirer on the progress of NRGP since its inception two years ago. “Unlike Upper East where almost every district has a rural bank supporting farmers, with exception of only two districts there are no rural banks in northern region and this is hindering the progress of NRGP”, he said. The Coordinator also appealed to the national banks not to shy away from financing agricultural activities which he said is the backbone of the economy of this country.  Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP),is a $104-million agricultural support project funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), African Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Ghana and aimed to reduce poverty among farmers in the three northern regions. The NRGP is designed specifically to contribute to the government’s poverty reduction strategies in northern Ghana through commodity value-chain development, rural infrastructural improvement and enhanced financial access or services. Currently farmers in 38 districts in northern, Upper East and West regions including five other districts in parts of Brong Ahafo region were benefiting from NRGP. Before NRGP it was difficult for farmers and famer based organizations to access loans from banks and recognition of this difficulty NRGP had joined forces with rural banks to empower farmers to increase production at the same time helped reduce poverty among them. Mr. Ayariga said lack of rural banks in some districts was making it difficult for farmers at that areas to access NRGP grant facility and that establishing rural banks in these districts would increase the beneficiary famers to achieve the desire result of the programme. He also made a passionate appealed to national banks to expand their services to rural communities to offer farmers opportunity to access financial services to produce more to feed the nation and for export saying agriculture is business and must be seen as such and that until farmers recognized that they could not make meaningful  impact.

Flood Wrecked Northern Ghana

floods in northern Ghana (Central Gonja)

   about 700, 000 people have been displaced by floods following the over flow of Volta river. 800 houses were also submerged and thousands of acres of farmlands and crops were now under water. the government officials led by the Interior Minister Martin Amidu expressed shock about the damage caused by the flood and described as national crisis. the extend of damage the minister said would cost more than the government can bear and however appealed to external agencies and governments to come into their aid. the floods which the officials blamed on climate change resulted in the activities of human and natural causes said time has come for immediate action to deal with effects of climate change. the government agency, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) whose officials look helpless are supposed to handle situation of human and natural disasters but is under resourced. the agency that supposed to be independent however fall on the government for assistance which is not forthcoming at times on needs hence the agency is always behind in response to disaster situations.
the officials of NADMO descirbed the situation as worst in 20 years looking at the extensive damages caused. though rains continued to fall regularly the government had not been able to put in place contigent plans to deal with the situation to prevent its recurring. 
 


suspected effects of climate change as people bear the brunt of it

  



17OCT

Assembly women aspirants face socio-cultural challenges

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Francis Npong, Gulinkpegu

The Assembly women aspirants in culturally-torn or segregated society particularly in northern region where women play “shadow role” or neglected and deny opportunity to take part in decision making process and in development are being prepared to face a unique challenges during the upcoming district assemblies’ elections as they face their male counterparts.

With funding support from European Union (EU), under the “Support for Women in Elections, (SWOPE)”, Ghana Developing Communities Association (GDCA), a gender and development sensitive Non-governmental organization has organized ground-breaking community platforms for some women aspirants in the Yendi Municipality not only to disabuse community minds about women in leadership but also to showcase their talents and achievements. The assembly women aspirants in the region are faced with various challenges including financial, socio-cultural and transportation difficulties that impede the campaign activities.

Speaking to the Enquirer in an interview after a durbar of chiefs and people of Gulinkpegu Electoral Area in the Mion Constituency, the field officer of GDCA-SWOPE programme Madam Alhassan Faidatu pointed out that women face unique socio-cultural challenges that prevent them from taking part in decision making processes in society. Women she said are spite in male dominated society of the region, a situation that needs a lot of time, energy, and resource to correct to pave way for women with leadership potentials to vie for both local and national leadership positions.  

“Socio-cultural factors particularly in northern region put off women potentials because women are not allowed to practice their ideas gear towards transformation of society. They are barred by socio-cultural norms to take up leadership positions or to participate development programmes. This however affected physical and spiritual development of women in north Ghana”, she stressed.

Madam Faidatu indicated that women are good and influential leaders and could support the development of the nation when given the chance to participate in decision making processes at local and national levels. The discrimination, marginalization and exclusion of women in local and national platforms were partly responsible for the lack of development in the country, she argued. She said it was against this background that GDCA in collaboration with SWOPE is supporting the course of women and advocating for increase number of assembly women for equal representation of gender in decision making processes saying the disparities in leadership in Ghana was too wide and needed to be closed.

The Yendi Municipal Director of National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE) Alhaji Alhassan Sulemana appealed to chiefs and people to desist from criminalizing and attacking women who aspire for a position. He observed that the situation was not encouraging girl child education and women development. He however urged community members to support women to aspire higher position because women were sensitive to development and would be able to move the development of the community forwards when given the chance. The Assembly woman aspirant for Gulinkpegu Electoral Area Ms Adam Habiba who complained of physical and verbal attacks and various accusations that put fears in them promised to champion.

She pleaded with community leaders to ensure a fair play ground for all aspirants including women to the forthcoming district assemblies’ elections. She said the constant intimidation, harassment and physical and verbal attacks from her male counterparts do not promote democracy where respect, responsibility, accountability and community interest is key.

She thanked GDCA for the support and urged her colleagues women not to be deterred by the threats and accusations to declare their interest in the forthcoming district assemblies elections.  

Climate Change Threatens Agricultural Sector in Africa

The National Coordinator of Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP) Mr. Roy Ayariga has stated that the global warming and climate change has potentials to reduce food production and would need strategic measures to keep agricultural sector in developing countries alive.
According to him, food crop production has reduced drastically for the past three years because of unpredicted climatic conditions. “Our scientists are not curtained about the weather. Its just not predictable because of climate change”, he said.
The Coordinator was speaking in an exclusive interview with the Enquirer here in Tamale on food security and climate change how local farmers were coping.
He said it is time the government and agencies step in to assist agricultural sector to prevent it from collapsing. The best way he noted is for the Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to facilitate the establishment of rural banks to widen the scope of farmers’ access to financial or loan facilities to expand crop production to ensure food security.

He said that the lack of rural banks particularly in parts of northern region was impeding the progress of NRGP and other government agricultural initiatives aimed to empower local farmers to improve upon production and cope with global warming.“There is need to make frantic efforts to facilitate the establishment of rural banks in each district assembly to help empower farmers to increase crop production”, he said. He explained that NRGP empowered rural farmers over the years now and need to be expanded to cover other rural farmers to increase production.

“Unlike Upper East where almost every district has a rural bank supporting farmers, with exception of only two districts there are no rural banks in northern region and this is hindering the progress of NRGP”, he said. The Coordinator also appealed to the national banks not to shy away from financing agricultural activities which he said is the backbone of the economy of this country. Northern Rural Growth Programme (NRGP), is a $104-million agricultural support project funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), African Development Bank (ADB) and the Government of Ghana and aimed to reduce poverty among farmers in the three northern regions. The NRGP is designed specifically to contribute to the government’s poverty reduction strategies in northern Ghana through commodity value-chain development, rural infrastructural improvement and enhanced financial access or services. Currently farmers in 38 districts in northern, Upper East and West regions including five other districts in parts of Brong Ahafo region were benefiting from NRGP. Before NRGP it was difficult for farmers and famer based organizations to access loans from banks and recognition of this difficulty NRGP had joined forces with rural banks to empower farmers to increase production at the same time helped reduce poverty among them. Mr. Ayariga said lack of rural banks in some districts was making it difficult for farmers at that areas to access NRGP grant facility and that establishing rural banks in these districts would increase the beneficiary famers to achieve the desire result of the programme. He also made a passionate appealed to national banks to expand their services to rural communities to offer farmers opportunity to access financial services to produce more to feed the nation and for export saying agriculture is business and must be seen as such and that until farmers recognized that they could not make meaningful impact.

SDA unveils projects to support government poverty and development initiatives

rancis Npong, Tamale

The North Ghana Mission of the seventh Day Adventist church (SDA) has unveiled two projects, to support the government’s poverty reduction and development initiatives to improve the livelihoods of the people in the region.

The projects which are parts of efforts to bridge the development gap between the north and south is aimed to consciously empower members and non-members alike economically and spiritually.

The projects which include block farm and shear nut processing and marketing is targeting particularly women and unemployed in northern region. Under the block farm efforts are being made to secure large tract of farmland, while plans are advanced to establish a shear nut processing factory.

The projects would be done in collaboration with the ministry of agriculture with funding support from Adventist Relief Agency (ADRA) and is aimed to reduce poverty, improve livelihoods and enhance spiritual growth of their members.

The New president of the Mission Pastor Fred Adjei-Baah who unveiled the projects at a joint church service said that the projects are parts of the mission’s market place evangelism aimed to uplift economic, social and spiritually well being of it members.

The shear-nut processing and marketing and block farm project is an initiative of the mission targeting poor women and unemployed not only in the church but those residing in the north. It is a new tactic aimed to win more souls to Christ and at the same time improve their economic and livelihoods. When taken off, the project intends to engage over thousands of poor and vulnerable women, unemployed youth as part of efforts to reduce youth idleness, minimize conflicts, and reduce drastically amount of money spent on peace keeping and maintaining security in northern region.

Pastor Adjei-Baah indicated that huge amount of money would be devoted to the projects to ensure its successful implementation to achieve the desire result. He stressed that there would not be favors’ on grounds of faith but the desire and ability to achieve result. “There will not be brother and sister in Christ in the implementation of the projects but those who will be willing to work and achieve the desire result”, he said.

Preaching under the topic “fresh people, and fresh oil” Pastor Adjei-Baah said however called on religious bodies to partner the government to bridge the development gap between the north and south, reduce poverty, and minimize hardship on the people up north.

He therefore urged Christians to eschew laziness. “A time has come for Christians to eschew laziness, hatred, and attitudes that repel success and work together as partners to change the economic situation of the country”, he said.

Pastor Adjei-Baah, who has been praised by some church members, is bent on restoring leadership difficulty that befell on the north mission sometimes ago.

He took over from Pastor Adu Sampa whose actions and inactions sparked members protest leading to his removal.

The New spiritual head of SDA according to members is known for his compassion, competency, diligence, good spiritual lifestyle and would help propel the growth of the church in the region.

They however, advised him to desist from acts that denigrate ethnic classes in the church to build a harmonized membership.

They promised to support him restore church and mend cracks that have been created by the previous leadership.

Bushfire Devastates 150 Farmers

Francis Npong, Tamale

One hundred and fifty (150) hectares of rice and mango farms belonging to individual farmers in the West Mampurusi, Savelugu/Nanton and Karaga District have been bent down completely by bush fires.

This includes100 hectare of organic mango plantation at Jangna, and 20 hectares of rice farms at Magnayili and Burugu in Savelugu/Nanton and Karaga District respectively.

These farmers were being supported by Integrated Tamale Fruit Company (ITFC), a subsidiary company of Wienco Ghana Limited, according to the Coordinator of Organic Mango Out growers Association (OMOA), Mr. Ishaku Iddrisu.
Briefing the Enquirer on activities of bushfire in an exclusive interview, the coordinator who lamented the rampant bush burning activities said the situation had left over 200 poor farmers devastated.

The bushfire he alleged was caused by rats’ hunters, cigarette smokers, and some farmers themselves. “The major culprits in bush burning businesses are rats’ hunters whose activities need to be curbed”, he said.

The rice farms he explained got bent because of the inaccessibility of combined harvesters. “Combined harvesters are not available to a chunk of farmers and this always leaves their farms at the mercy of bushfires”, Mr. Iddrisu said.

He said that the association in collaboration with ITFC company though established fire volunteers at each vantage point they were lacking requisite equipment to fight fire. Some of these equipments he said they needed for effective fire fighting include means of transportation, water cans, sprayers and fire extinguishers among others.

He therefore appeal to organizations to support come into the aid of the farmers to help them recover from shocks as a result of their loss.

40% of northerners have no access to drinking water

About 40 per cent of the people living in the northern region have no access to portable drinking water and are vulnerable to water related diseases.

The Northern regional Director of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA) Mr. Ofori McCarthy who disclosed this during the regional launch of Ghana Sustainable water supply and sanitation project (SWSP) said the water situation in northern region was very critical and would need collaborative efforts to deal with it to achieve the millennium development goals on water.

The US$75 million Ghana Sustainable water supply and sanitation project is a five year rural water and sanitation improvement project to be financed by the International Development Agency (IDA) of the World Bank to ensure sustainable water flow to rural communities. Out of the amount the Government of Ghana was contributing US$2.43 million to facilitate the expansion, upgrading and servicing of water facilities across the beneficiary communities.

The project would provide 1,200 boreholes, 40 limited mechanized water systems, and 29 full-scale mechanized water supplies in Brong Ahafo, Northern, Upper East, West, Central and Western regions to give people access to portable, clean drinking water.

Mr. McCarthy explained that water was an important resource and that the quality and quantity available would determine the pace of development at a particular place.

He appealed to manage water systems well warning that failure to do so would affect the society greatly.

The northern regional and sanitation Engineer Alhaji Ahmed Ewura explained that geochemical information available indicated that parts of northern region have high fluoride content and that underground water which was so saline that it was affecting the health of the people, the manager indicated.

Mr. Ewura said rain water harvesting technology was possible solution to community water crisis saying the system best fits institutions with limited number of people and usage.

He advocated end of opened defecation that contaminates water resources and appealed to the district assemblies, chiefs and opinion leaders to support the programme to succeed.

The Deputy northern regional minister Mr. Sam Nasamu Asabigi said that water and sanitation delivery has not kept pace with the increase in population putting lives at rural and peri-urban at critical position.

He promised the government’s commitment to delivery quality service and good governance to the people. He was grateful to the World bank for the intervention.