Addressing climate change in Ghana, the role of climate change adaptive agriculture

Introduction

As Nations across the world continue to strategize on best approaches to adopt in attaining national food security and in contributing to securing the food security of the world’s estimated nine (9) billion population in 2050, it beholds on all to champion sustainable environmental development practice to curtail the increasing effect of climate change on the world’s development.

Ghana has over the years demonstrated its commitment at addressing the increasing threat of climate change to its national development; following the formulation and implementation of various national climate change policies. These interventions are contributing immensely in engaging the citizenry to appreciate the reality of climate change and thus work towards addressing it.

Recently, climate change adaptive Agriculture has taken centre stage in the nation’s quest to address the increasing effect of climate change to its economic development, of which Agriculture accounts for more than 60%.

Climate change adaptive Agriculture employs innovative farming systems with best practices that effectively helps farmers and other Agricultural value chain actors in managing the risk that climate change possess in the short to long term. The adoption of climate smart Agricultural practices enhances the resilience of Agriculture to climate change, as these practices mitigate the vulnerability of Agriculture to climate change.

This article therefore assesses the role of climate change adaptive Agriculture in addressing climate change in Ghana. These roles include:

Enriches the Ecosystem and enhances biodiversity conservation: following the alarming rate of the depletion of Ghana’s rich forest reserves with a decline in its forest cover from 8.2 million hectares at the beginning of the 20^th century to an estimated 1.6 million hectares, the adoption of climate smart Agricultural practices will contribute significantly in restoring Ghana’s diverse and rich ecosystem.

The Rich Ecosystem of Aburi

As Agricultural expansion accounts for 50% of the principal drivers of deforestation and degradation in Ghana; with a deforestation rate of 2.0% and an annual loss of 135,000 hectares, the adoption of alley farming as a climate smart Agricultural practice will enrich the nation’s ecosystem and enhance its biodiversity conservation.

This climate change adaptive Agricultural practice promotes the cultivation of crops together with the planting of trees of economic value. Alley farming thus enriches soil biodiversity, promotes the natural regeneration of soil nutrients thus reducing the use of inorganic fertilizer, restores degraded land, discourages bush burning and promotes afforestation.

The adoption of alley farming by Ghanaian farmers will also contribute significantly in addressing deforestation and the degradation of Ghana’s rich land reserves for Agricultural expansion, as farmers can expand their acreage while maintain the nation’s vast and rich tree cover.

The adoption of conservation Agriculture as a climate smart Agricultural practice will also contribute significantly in addressing climate change in Ghana, as it strengthens environmental protection and the conservation of natural resources. Conservation Agriculture enriches the ecosystem and biodiversity, as it promotes: continuous minimum mechanical soil disturbance, permanent organic soil cover and diversified crop rotation.

The establishment and Management of tree plantations: the adoption of climate change adaptive Agriculture will enhance Ghana’s quest at addressing climate change, as it ensures the establishment and management of tree plantations comprising of various tree species of economic value for the protection of the environment and enrichment of the ecosystem.

A tree plantation in Northern Ghana

The increasing level of interest of Ghanaian farmers in investing in the establishment of Mango and Shea tree plantations, can contribute significantly in addressing climate change, as these plantations restores depleted forest reserves and degraded land.

The management of these plantations also curtails bush burning, much especially in the Savannah ecological belt of Ghana, as these plantations offer cover to the vast grassland of the Savannah that is prone to bush fires.

The establishment of these tree plantations also contributes significantly in reducing carbon emissions, global warming and the conservation of water resources which are increasingly vulnerable to climate change. These tree plantations thus mitigates the effect of climate change, as they contribute significantly in reducing Ghana’s deforestation rate (2.0%) which leads to an annual loss of 135,000 Hectares of the nation’s forest cover.

Promotes sustainable land and water resource management; practically every development challenge of the 21^st century e.g. food security, the management of rapid urbanization, energy security, environmental protection, climate change, etc requires an urgent attention to land and water resource management.

As ground water is being depleted faster than replenished, the adoption of climate change adaptive Agriculture will contribute significantly in addressing the effect of climate change on hydrologic variability which results to extreme weather events e.g. drought, floods etc.

The Activities of galamsey in Ghana degrades

the nation's rich land and natural resources.

Owing to the increasing activities of illegal mining popularly referred to as “galamsey” in Ghana, the adoption of climate change adaptive Agriculture will play a significant role in the restoration of degraded land; as it promotes  afforestation and adoption of farming systems that enhances the natural regeneration of the soil structure and nutrients.

Aquaculture, a climate change Adaptive Agricultural practice helps in the sustainable management of land and water resources as it promotes the preservation of water bodies, the restoration of degraded land etc. These benefits of Aquaculture thus help in maintaining a balanced ecosystem that is resilient to the increasing challenge of climate change.

Furthermore, the adoption of conservation Agriculture as a climate smart Agricultural practice promotes sustainable land and water resource management as it contributes immensely in the conservation of Agricultural and non-Agricultural land, controls pollution, enriches the ecosystem/biodiversity etc.

Conclusion

Climate change Adaptive Agriculture undoudly play an essential role in addressing effect of climate change in Ghana, and it is therefore important for the country to institute the needed structures to facilitate the implementation of Ghana’s REDD+ strategy that is aimed at addressing climate change in the country. The reality of climate change in Ghana requires action now.

An Article By: Moses Nganwani Tia.