The Minister of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR), Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor, MP, has avowed that, the participation of the Country in the 28th Edition of the Conference of Parties (COP 28)of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), will bring to the fore, the importance of scaling up forest solutions to climate change.
The Minister made this statement when the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources (MLNR) held a Pre-COP event to bring all partners together to shape plans for the COP 28 and seek support to accelerate action on forest and nature -based solutions for climate change.
Speaking at the event, Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor , MP, said that the COP 28 will present the Government the unique opportunity to reveal the effectiveness of Ghana’s adaptation and mitigation measures, climate financing and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs).
He bemoaned that the Conference comes at a time when climate crisis keeps worsening, “ when we are told that we are gradually moving from global warming to global boiling and the consequences are dire , particularly on agrarian economies such as ours. “
“In the past few months, we have seen, at first hand, the impacts of climate change on the lives and livelihoods of people; flooding, harsh weather conditions and pest outbreaks, affecting food production and local community livelihood. Clearly, the world is not doing enough to combat this crisis but we at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources under the strategic leadership of the President H.E Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo- Addo, are encouraged by the fact that forests and other nature -based solutions can deliver up to a third of global climate solution”, he concluded.
Hon. Jinapor stated that, 50% of the country’s national green house gas emission have been attributed to agricultural, forest and land use activities and the Ministry is confident Ghana can contribute to global efforts at halting climate change.
Hon. Samuel A. Jinapor enumerated some key activities and benefits Ghana derived from previous COP sessions and also announced the activities lined up for this year’s session.
The special guest of honor for the event, the Second Lady of Ghana, H.E Samira Bawumia, in a statement mentioned that, climate change is an existential crisis that disproportionately affects us all.
She added that, in Sub -Saharan Africa, our situation is more precarious because the Region is expected to experience a osignificant decline in agricultural input and this will pose a great threat in food security and livelihoods.
She mentioned that, in all these she is more passionate about women and kids in this climate change situation because they are more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and they also have the least access to resources, opportunities and decision making power to cope with these challenges. It is therefore, imperative that they are included in the design, implementation and development of climate change strategies.
She added that, she is confident that discussions and recommendations that will emerge at the Pre-COP event will guide the conversations at COP 28 and adhered that, as people prepare for COP 28, they should also consider committing to transforming dialogues to impactful actions and work together and ensure the voices of women and children are not just heard but are at the forefront of the fight against climate change.
“Our journey will be challenging but it is one that we must undertake for the sake of our shared future. Together we can open a new chapter in the story of our planet, our continent, one where humanity stands together as guardians of nature, safeguarding the earth for generations to come. May our collective voices at COP 28 spur on the support, change and commitment we need so that our result will be a cleaner, greener and more sustainable continent that we all want”, she concluded.
The event was attended by the Executive Management Team of Forestry Commission, led by the Chief Executive, Mr. John Allotey.
The Director of the Climate Change Department, Ms. Roselyn Fosuah Adjei moderated the program.
The 28th Session of the Conference of Parties of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) will be held in Dubai from 30th November to 12th December ,2023.