By Emmanuel AKOMEA
The Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII), a non-governmental organisation that promotes good governance and fights corruption, has launched a new project to address climate change’s impact and corruption’s role in worsening environmental challenges.
The project, supported by the Extractive Industry and Climate Change Governance (EICCG) Fund – through the Africa Centre for Energy Policy (ACEP), is designed to address these challenges through enhanced climate governance transparency and citizen engagement.
The one-year pilot project on ‘Strengthening Climate Governance through Social Accountability and Citizen’s Oversight in Local Climate Initiatives’ seeks to engage citizens across specific districts in Ghana; identify gaps and corruption risks; and develop recommendations to strengthen climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.
According to Executive Director-GII, Mary Awelana Addah, this climate change project is part of the organisation’s broader programming to understand how corruption affects governance of climate-related processes and how lack of information and complexity of the subject matter hinder sustained citizen engagement on these critical issues.
“We see what is happening to the illegal mining sector, we see the emissions that we are creating through the various fossil fuels we use – and this has had an impact on our lives. And sometimes we see a lot of negligence, then sometimes public officials watch on and allow some of these to happen because of the little benefits they accrue or derive from these processes,” she said.
The project will begin with a baseline assessment to understand the specific implications of climate change in different districts across Ghana, ensuring that the initiative targets most-affected areas. It is being implemented in two parts – one for northern regions and the other in southern parts.
This will be followed by direct engagement with citizens to identify the gaps, corruption risk factors and barriers to their participation in climate-related discussions and decision-making.
Mrs. Adddah mentioned that one key challenge this project aims to address is the technical nature of climate change, which often makes it difficult for the general public to understand and engage with the issue.
To overcome this, the GII plans to work closely with media and design simple, easy-to-understand information, education and communication materials which bring climate change issues to the doorstep of citizens.
“Climate change is one of the most urgent challenges of our time, affecting every sector and impacting our environment, economy and communities. In Ghana the stakes are particularly high, with our economy and livelihoods of millions closely tied to climate-sensitive sectors such as agriculture, fisheries and forestry. The need for effective climate governance has never been more critical,” Mrs. Addah further noted.
Project Coordinator Michael Okai said a key component of the project is formation of local committees, which will serve as the driving force for climate action at community level.
Alongside the local committees, he said, the project also aims to establish a multi-stakeholder platform that brings together government policymakers, decision-makers, civil society, the private sector, traditional authorities, academia and the media.
Mr. Okai said a collaborative approach is crucial in addressing the potential challenges associated with climate change – such as illegal mining, slash-and-burn farming practices and illegal logging.
