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Integrated climate risk management workshop begins in Accra

 A two-day workshop to hand over a roadmap for Integrated Climate Risk Management (ICRM) for Ghana’s climate change management began in Accra on Tuesday.

 The project which is jointly developed by the German Development Cooperation (GIZ) and the Munich Climate Insurance Initiative (MCII) has four concepts which would be developed for the integration of risk transfer and solutions into climate risk management frameworks.

The project partner organisations are the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), the Ministry of the Food and Agriculture (MOFA) and the Ministry of Finance (MOF).

 Mr. Alan Walsch, Country Director of GIZ, Ghana, Welcoming participants to the workshop said extreme weather events related to climate change had significantly increased in frequency and intensity over the past few decades.

 He said African continent  was being affected by floods, droughts and storms with increasing frequency, adding  that in Ghana, the impacts of climate change and climate variability were already being  experienced through  changing  rain patterns and longer dry spells among other aspects.

Dr. Alhassan Iddrisu, Director, Economic Strategy and Research Division of MOF said it was estimated that   Ghana would require a total amount of US$22.6 billion to implement programmes outlined in Ghana’s Nationally Determine Contribution (GH-NDC),the mitigation and adaptation  document in fighting climate  change.

 He said out of the estimated amount, about US$ 12.6 billion was required to implement  the adaptation programmes indicating how Ghana places a premium on climate adaptation.

 Dr. Iddrisu, said  some of the potential domestic financial sources that  had been identified  included the National Budget , special  funds  such as the Ghana Green Fund, renewable  Energy Fund, Forest Plantation Development Fund, Minerals Development Fund, Environmental  Fiscal Reforms, Corporate Social Responsibility, Commercial Bank Facilities, Equity Fund  and the Private Sector.

Mr. Eric Nana Agyeman-Prempeh Director-General of NADMO in a speech read on his behalf said, even though the ICRM project was yet to be evaluated, pilot projects implemented in two districts had hugely impacted the beneficiary communities in the areas of climate change adaptation to flood and drought events and the adoption of smart agriculture practices.

 He said NADMO partnership with GIZ to implement the ICRM project was another opportunity for the organisation to realise its Disaster Risk Management principles by making sure that the communities and citizens became resilient to climate change induced disasters.

 Mr. Agyemang-Prempeh said the concept of Disaster Risk Management basically involved prevention preparedness, response and recovery, “unfortunately in Ghana, the perception that     NADMO is only relevant when it comes to the response aspect of disaster management.”

 He said promoting ICRM  could achieve significant  resilience for  the communities,  adding that the  ICRM  and Disaster Risks Management concepts  were interlinked  because the changing  climate  was no doubt causing severe  weather events,  such as  flood  and drought mostly affecting incomes of farmers.

BY LAWRENCE MARKWEI

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