Zanetor Agyemang- Rawlings flanked by officials of GSSTI and GAEC
The Government has advanced discussions on the appropriate institutional and legislative framework for the establishment of a Space Agency as part of efforts to strengthen coordination and the use of space science and technology for the development of the country.
Minister for Environment, Science and Technology (MEST), Dr. Zanetor Agyemang-Rawlings, made this known as part of her first 100 days public engagement with the media, officials of the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI), Ghana Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC) and other stakeholders in Accra.
She said the agency will help coordinate the country’s space activities, develop national space programmes, and position the country to participate more in the growing global space economy.
According to her, government would work towards improving the country’s Space Policy to transform the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI) into a fully-fledged Ghana Space Agency, with the appropriate legal, institutional, technical and operational framework.
She said processes were already in place towards drafting the necessary Bill following Cabinet’s approval of the initiative.
Dr. Agyemang-Rawlings explained that the need for a dedicated agency was driven by the growing importance of space technology to development and the fragmented nature of space-related activities across government institutions.
“Space is no longer the exclusive preserve of a few technologically advanced nations. Space is now an essential infrastructure for development,” she said.
She noted that satellite and geospatial technologies supported telecommunications, weather forecasting, navigation, agriculture, environmental monitoring, disaster management, maritime surveillance, national security and scientific research.
She added that government will also promote the use of satellite and geospatial data for environmental management, climate resilience and national development.
Dr. Joseph Bremang Tandoh, Director of the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute (GSSTI), said Ghana needed an agency as space-related activities were currently scattered among different institutions, resulting in duplication and fragmented use of satellite data.
He stated that a central agency could coordinate the acquisition and processing of satellite images and make the resulting information available to various government institutions.
Dr. Tandoh mentioned that the global space economy was currently worth about US$630 billion and was projected to reach US$1.5 trillion within the next decade, presenting opportunities for Ghanaian researchers, engineers, entrepreneurs and young people.
The Director said an agency could therefore ensure that satellite imagery was acquired under one unit and processed for use by different ministries and agencies.
He said space technology could, for instance, help predict agricultural yields before the end of a farming season, identify flood-prone areas and support early response to disasters.
He further noted that satellite technology was already supporting weather forecasting, telecommunications, disaster monitoring, forest and natural resource management in Ghana.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah