The Kassena-Nankana Municipal Assembly in the Upper East Region has rolled out a five-year development strategy on clean cooking energy to make clean energy technologies accessible to rural poor communities.
The Municipal Assembly and the Kassena-Nankana West District Assembly have been supported by Organisation for Indigenous Initiatives and Sustainability (ORGIIS-Ghana), an environment focused Non-Governmental Organisation, with funding from SNV, Netherlands Development Organisation, to mainstream clean cooking issues into their Medium Term Development Plans.
The project, which would run from 2020 to 2024, would ensure the scaling up of sensitisation and promotion for the adoption of improved, sustainable and efficient cooking equipment or improved cook stoves as best alternatives to the traditional methods of cooking to promote socio-economic development.
The overall goal of the strategic plan is to accelerate universal access to safe, sustainable and affordable clean cooking technologies or solutions in the municipality to achieve improved living conditions, reduce environmental degradation, reduce health hazards relating to cooking devices, and cooking fuels as well as advance the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the African Union Agenda 2063.
Speaking in Navrongo during the presentation of the draft of the development strategy to major stakeholders in the municipality, Mr Dauda Issaku Saari, the Municipal Budget Officer, indicated that the projected population in the municipality for 2019 is 129,279 people, and is likely to grow to 141,348 people by 2024, however, only 27 per cent of the current population size have access and use clean energy for fuel while the rest still relied on fire wood for fuel.
He said the Assembly was targeting about 65 per cent of the population having access to clean and efficient energy by 2024, and, therefore, was committed to working closely with relevant stakeholders to implement the plan to realise the dream
“With the use of clean fuels, improved cook stoves and structural improvement in household design and kitchens, deaths and disabilities associated with Household air pollution will reduce by eight per cent by the end of 2024. Without the use of clean fuels, improved cook stoves and structural improvement in household design and kitchens, deaths and disabilities associated with household air pollution will increase by eight per cent by the end of 2024,” he said.
Mr Saari believed that the implementation of strategic plan would not only reduce indoor pollution in many homes leading to good health, but it would further empower the women to venture into economic activities to help attain socio- economic growth.
The Coordinator of the ORGIIS-Ghana, Mr Julius Awaregya, applauded the Municipal Assembly for leading the campaign for the adoption of clean energy for cooking, and said it was imperative for all the assemblies, especially those in the region to emulate the example of the Kassena-Nankana Municipal Assembly and mainstream it into their medium term development plans.
FROM SAMUEL AKAPULE, NAVRONGO
