Kufuor calls for global action on climate change

... Ghana floods caused by climate-change
New York, Sept. 24, GNA - President John Agyekum Kufuor on Monday rallied the United Nations (UN) to lead a global response to face up to the challenges posed by climate change.

"A global vision with global resolve to plan and mobilise resources on an equally global scale for sustained solutions is imperative."


The world body, he said, must therefore, as a matter of urgency, marshal and mobilise both the developed and developing nations to appreciate the threat as universal, so that all would cooperate to save mankind.


President Kufuor was contributing to a high-level discussion on "Climate Change" at the UN Headquarters in New York. He was one of the 20 Heads of State invited to participate in the event by the UN Chief Ban-Ki Moon.


"The Challenge of Adaptation: From Vulnerability to Resilience" was the theme.


President Kufuor, who is Chairman of the AU, noted that in Africa and other poor countries across the world, the phenomenon was already making it difficult to guarantee the necessities of life.


These countries including Ghana, he said, were feeling the impact of the change resulting from misinformed handling of the environment as well as effluence caused by the industrialized nations.

He cited erratic rainfall, drought and desertification, floods and other weather-related disasters, and said, these were endangering human life and affecting agricultural productivity, food and water security.


Heavy rains recently flooded large swathe of countries in the West, Central and East Africa, leaving thousands of people in misery, submerging food crop farms, washed away roads and bridges and destroyed homes.


The three Northern Regions of Ghana and parts of the Western Region devastated by the floods had been declared disaster zones and President Kufuor said, this had something to do with climate-change, if not wholly caused by it.


He said the ability of the Continent and other developing countries to deal with the challenge was however, limited. General poverty, over-reliance on nature, especially in agriculture, little or no access to technology to adapt, or to mitigate the impact combined, make these countries vulnerable.


President Kufuor recognized the establishment of Funds like the Global Environment Facility (GEF) Trust Fund and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) for adaptation projects and said although these were in the right direction, they tended to be reactive and not substantial enough.


He said they needed to be broadened to include, not only assistance for relief and adaptability but should be made more proactive for achieving the integrated long-term solutions the world must achieve for survival.