Ghana

The Republic of Ghana, formerly the Gold Coast, was a British colony until March 6, 1957, when it became the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to achieve political independence. It was formerly called the Gold Coast because the Portuguese, who were also the earliest Europeans to arrive in the country in the 15th century, found a large amount of gold between the Ankobra and Volta rivers. Ghana is located in western Africa, bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south. The last population census of Ghana in 2010 recorded 24,223,431 people. The country spans an area of 92,085 sq. mi. [Page 629](238,500 sq. km). The population is concentrated in the southern part of the country, whereas the northern part is sparsely populated. There are three main ecological zones: the coastal savannah, tropical forest, and northern savannah. Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy.

Ghana's population more than doubled between 1970 to 2000, the forest depleted by about 50 percent from 1970 to 1990, and further declined by about 86 percent between 1990 and 2009. Projections by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana show that the country's forest areas may continue to decrease further in the coming decades. Projections by the EPA of Ghana also indicate that, by 2080, rainfall in the country will reduce by 20 to 40 percent, while the temperature will rise by 8 degrees F (4.5 degrees C). Critical examination of climate data over the last past 10 years indicates high temperatures, erratic rainfall patterns, and increased vulnerability of the coastline, with severe consequences for people and their livelihoods. Evidence of climate change is more visible in the northern savannah, where in 2007, severe floods attributed to climate variability partly destroyed 39 small dams and 265 mi. (427 km) of roads. In addition, 29,652 acres (12,000 hectares) of productive farmland were submerged in the flood, destroying an estimated 13 million metric tons of various crops, including rice, maize, millet, groundnuts, guinea corn, sweet potatoes, and cowpeas.

Farming activities and lumbering are major threats to the environment in Ghana. About 57 percent of the land in Ghana is suitable for agriculture. With a greater number of people involved in agriculture and the traditional shifting cultivation systems, farming practices such as bush burning and conversion of forest into arable land creates a situation that is contributing to deforestation and desertification. Closely related to these environmental concerns in relation to the climate change debate is the treatment of water bodies in Ghana, especially in urban areas. Because of urbanization, which has resulted in competition for the limited available space in urban areas, it is common to find houses built close to river bodies. Dumping of waste such as plastics and metals into the water bodies is also common.

Efforts are being made to respond to the issues arising from global warming and climate change. The Ghana Environment Management Programme (GEMP) seeks to respond to these challenges. There is an effort to develop a National Climate Change Policy Framework (NCCPF) as well as a National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy, but both are yet to be completed and mainstreamed into development policies. A major concern by analysts is the need to widen the consultation process for the formulation of the NCCPF to include civil society organizations (CSOs). In addition, the strategy needs to be completed, disseminated, and operationalized with adequate budgetary allocation for effective implementation.

...