Samuel Abu Jinapo
The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Abu Jinapor, has said the government is implementing two major interventions to urgently respond to the effects of climate change, and said they are determined to ensure things are done right.
The interventions include Ghana Cocoa Forest REDD+ Programme (GCFRP) in cocoa forest landscape, mainly in the southern part of the country, and the Ghana Shea Landscape Emission Reduction Programme in the Northern Savannah zones of Ghana.
The minister pledged Ghana’s commitment at the opening of the 12th Bosphorus Summit, in Istanbul, Turkey on Monday.
These programmes, the minister said, would enhance the ecosystem while improving livelihood opportunities for farmers, women groups and forest users in general.
He said in line with the vision of President Akufo-Addo, the country on June 11, 2021, successfully planted 7 million seedlings nationwide under the flagship Green Ghana initiative.
He also stated that a robust Afforestation Programme which seeks to restore degraded landscapes across all ecological zones and inculcate the culture of tree planting among the Ghanaian youth would be rolled out soon as part of government’s master plan on landscape restoration.
The minister also called on all countries, institutions and the private sector, to partner Ghana and exchange the rich experience and best practices in landscape restoration among others.
Mr. Jinapor further urged participants at the summit and the international community to deliberate on the effects of climate change on the ecosystem which links forest and sustainable livelihoods.
“Let us invest in technology and science that prevents impact of climate change on the livelihoods of the people we lead,” he said, adding “we can only achieve our aim if global climate actions are real and verifiable, and this we must do, by embracing real and verifiable emission reduction initiatives.”
On his part, the Chairman of the International Cooperation Platform (ICP), Rona Yircali, said the time has come for the international community to reaffirm their commitment towards the enhancement of the environment.
He hoped discussions at the summit including climate change and the importance of agriculture will help to make the world a better place.
The 12th Bosphorus Summit hosted by Turkey’s commercial capital Istanbul, featured the participation of ministers of state, diplomats, experts and academics from Ghana, Angola, Jordan, Turkey, Kosovan, Palestine, Denmark, Belgium, UK, USA , Norway, Azerbaijan among others.
Other discussions centered on cyber security, artificial intelligence, conflict resolution, transport and industrialisation.