The government is exploring the possibility for victims of the Akosombo Dam spillage to benefit from the climate change loss and damages fund.
According to the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Kwaku Afriyie technical assessments are currently being carried out, adding that about 200 billion dollars are available for Ghana to benefit from.
The Minister of Environmental Science Technology and Innovation announced this in Accra at the opening of the 5th West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Us, WASCAL , Ministerial Council Meeting.
The meeting is assessing West Africa’s journey towards climate resilience and improved livelihoods.
About 26,000 people in parts of the Volta, Eastern, Bono and Greater Accra regions had their homes and livelihoods swept away by floodwaters following the spillage of the Akosombo Dam in October. While some have called it a man-made disaster, others believe climate change should be blamed.
The Loss and Damage Fund which was, a major highlight of COP 27 aims to provide financial assistance to countries most vulnerable and impacted by the effects of climate change. Information gathered suggests the fund is yet to be operationalized due to disagreements on institutions to host the fund, uncertainty over who should contribute, eligibility on who qualifies for the fund and what defines loss and damages.
However, the Minister of Environment Science Technology and Innovation Dr Kwaku Afriyie said, the disaster caused by the spillage of the Akosombo dam could be an impact of climate change, a reason government is looking into benefiting from the Loss and Damages fund.
“I just came from Abu Dhabi, and we made a contribution for loss and damage. We are exploring the possibility that the Akosombo Dam spillage which caused flooding in communities along the Volta lake , will be eligible to benefit from the fund” he noted.
The Minister said he has tasked the Executive Director of Environmental Protection Agency, Henry Kwabena Kokofu to visit the affected areas and assess the situation. They are to do all the technical assessments to ensure that Ghana is in compliance with requirements to benefit from the fund, adding that the funds of about 200 million dollars are ready.
He explained that current discussions around the loss and damage fund at the World Forum, are focused on where to house those funds, which entity to disburse them and double counting to prevent fraud. Once these are addressed, Mr Kwaku Afriyie said Ghana will present its case but ultimately put measures in place to ensure the country is resilient to such shocks from climate change.
The Minister praised WASCAL’s leadership and collaborative partnership with Germany, particularly in combating climate change and exploring green hydrogen. He provided examples of joint projects, such as a waste-to-energy facility funded by Germany, signifying Ghana’s shift towards clean and renewable energy sources.
The meeting which precedes COP-28 is discussing the use of technology to fight plastic pollution, the role of education and academia and the need for African countries to invest and collaborate to ensure countries are resilient to climate change. Germany’s Federal Minister of Education and Research, Bettina Stark-Watzinger in a speech read for her said it is important for all ECOWAS member countries to join the West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use, WASCAL, to derive maximum benefit.
She said “the collaboration of all ECOWAS countries in the fight against climate change is critical for WASCAL. We are proud of what WASCAL has achieved over the years and we want this to increase. You should take all necessary decisions and provide the support required to make WASCAL fit for the future”
The day’s meeting ended with the adoption of a communique. The countries that make up WASCAL are Ghana, Benin, Togo, Cape Verde, Cote d’ Ivoire, and Gambia. The rest are Guinea, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo and Germany.
