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Background
The new reality of development facing scientists and policymakers is, understanding the impacts of climate change and variability on society. In Ghana, the challenge is heightened by enormous gaps in scientific and institutional capacity linking vulnerability to climate impacts, adaptation and mitigation. Whilst Ghana’s Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS) represents part of this challenge, weak adaptation action plans and capacity self assessments are tests for attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Thus,
- The interpretations of how the coupled human-environment systems interact within different political, environmental, historical, and socio-economic contexts will lead to better understanding of changes in resource use and management with respect to the impacts of climate change and variability.
- The vulnerability of humans to such changes constitutes a core challenge to science, management and productivity. As a result, several knowledge sharing gatherings at the global and national levels have been continuously organised towards providing better meaning of, and lessons on adaptation to the impacts of climate change and variability.
- The meeting in Ghana is expected to scale down global climate change issues to national, regional, district and community levels, and because it has the aim of bringing as many people with diverse research and project materials as possible, the conference is being named the Climate Impact Summit I [CLIMPACT I].
Justification
- Severe drought, prolonged dry spells, variable rainfall regimes and rain floods, of 1983, 1998, 2005 and 2007, respectively, in Ghana, are examples of extreme weather events due potentially to changes in global climatic conditions. These are often accompanied by intermittent shocks experienced in most parts of the country. These events reduce crops and fisheries production, cause livestock death, and generally stress food systems. In the process, weak and least endowed households are exposed to other shocks. Outcomes on the macro-economy are unknown due to the paucity of data on ex-ante risk and growth indicators, and history of the weather events.
- The numerous climate variability events occurring in Ghana are potential developmental risks, but are unfortunately considered often by society as “normal”. Nationally, growth and development strategies that emphasize poverty reduction are often alienated from extreme weather events. These perceptions are worsened by the virtually non-existent scientifically tested activities that seek to bring the issue of climate change impacts to the doorsteps of the poor in society and policy planners. The meeting will therefore seek to provide an appropriate environment to share several lessons including concluded and on-going scientific research in our research institutions.
Socio-political Relevance
- The challenges of global warming and impacts on human security through disasters are at the centre of international dialogue and whilst several components are being addressed, there is the need to help poor countries to better adapt (IPCC, 2001). In Ghana’s development blueprint, the Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy (GPRS II) (NDPC, 2005) possible climate change, vulnerability and adaptation issues likely to influence the agricultural sector plans, from which the GPRS largely evolved was obscured. Disasters examined in the GPRS II only referred to financial and physical infrastructure, and thus represent the lack of capacity in the area of climate change and adaptation, and related sustainability dimensions.
- At three separate gatherings of world leaders in 2008, viz, UN General Assembly in New York, the Conference of Commonwealth Heads of States and Governments Meeting in Kampala, and the Africa-EU Development Summit in Lisbon, the then Ghana’s President, Mr. J.A. Kuffuor raised and emphasised climate change concerns. He specifically referred to the 2007 floods in Ghana and the rest of Africa, asking for external interventions to deal with impacts of climate change and variability. An appeal that partly is the result of the lack of capacity and the understanding to sustainably deal with such events locally.
Objectives
- Appraise knowledge on climate change outcomes on development.
- Create awareness and build capacity on impacts of climate events.
- Define long-term research and capacity building priorities.
- Promote science – policy debates to manage global climate change impacts locally.
- Promote communication strategies among stakeholders.
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