Non- state actors in Ghana finally part of the NDC framework

What started out as an effort to align non-state actors such as not for profit organisations, Civil Society Organisations and enterprises to government action has led to the Government of Ghana expanding its Nationally Determined Contributions(NDC) Framework to accommodate climate change action by these institutions.

 Kasa Initiative has spearheaded climate change, natural resources and environmental governance advocacy efforts in Ghana  for 14 years now. Founded to ensure engagement between government, private sector, media and donor community on Ghana’s natural resources, the organisation now strives to create awareness and build capacities of citizens to become change makers and have agency over their own rights. The organisation has organised training, forums, media engagements as well as engagements with duty bearers in government on matters of climate change and how human activities such as exploration of minerals and agriculture impacts manifest.

 The NDC framework outlines adaptation and mitigation employed by countries to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases under the Paris Agreement 2015. Ghana developed its first framework in 2015 and implementation in 2016 having ratified the agreement. This framework was again reviewed in 2021 with another review taking place in 2024 as per the four year execution window. Unfortunately, previous versions did not take into account the efforts non-state actors have made to reduce greenhouse gas emissions due to resource and capacity constraints. With the lack of reporting templates and data collection tools to harmonise the efforts of non-state actors, their efforts are left out in the final country’s submission of the NDC 1.0 and 2.0  to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Addressing the challenges fronted by climate change requires collective action from government to private sector as well as tracking progress of the country’s measures.

 To close this gap, advocacy efforts through engagements and capacity strengthening spearheaded by organizations, such as Kasa Initiative Ghana, IUCN, ISODEC and CIKOD, the Government of Ghana through the Ministry of Environment Science and Technology developed a reporting template and data collection tool designed by EPA to capture non state actors contributions on climate change initiatives in the Ghana NDC 3.0. To easen the amount of labour and time taken to engage each non-state actor for input, Kasa offered guidance on how to use the tools. Additionally, the organisation delegated focal persons for each sector for seamless dissemination of tools and relay of information

 This is a significant advancement towards achieving a zero emission Ghana through collective efforts. Submissions by country which indicate the progress made by each member state towards the Paris Agreement  promise to place Ghana at a vantage point compared to its peers due to such efforts. Ghana is due to submit their report early 2025.

By Lilian Mukami

Communications Officer

Past Projects

Kasa's efforts in restoring mangrove forests to mitigate coastal erosion

The Keta lagoon tragedy is still edged in the minds of residents who helplessly watched as the sea claimed their loved ones lives, their property and even robbed their gravesites. Now, all that’s left of a once thriving community is stumps of houses and sunken hopes evident by their scowled faces. This phenomenon is unfortunately becoming common along Ghana coastlines as the sea levels rise and take claim to lives, land and property.

One of the evidence of climate change is rising temperatures which impact the sea and oceans in various ways. One is melting polar ice which leads to expansion of oceans which in turn encroach on lands such as Keta. Secondly, the high temperatures which are stored in the water exacerbates water acidity which then degrades coral reefs and even mangroves; which act as sea defense. Cases such as Keta’s can be observed world over, in coastal areas.

The Government of Ghana has responded to this recurring disaster with measures to keep the sea at bay and relocation propositions for community members. Along  Ghana’s volta region and other coastal regions, one can observe sea defense systems protecting coastlines from strong tidal waves that cause erosion, flooding, amongst other hazards. These engineered structures are fortified to ensure durability and restoration of normally for coastal communities. However, as with most man made structures, there is a lifespan to such structures.  That is why organisations such as Kasa Initiative Ghana advocate for Nature based solutions such as planting of Mangroves.

Mangroves forests not only act as sea defense but perform as carbon sinks better than terrestrial forests. Additionally, their roots create an ecosystem for marine life to start and thrive. Marine creatures such as turtles and fish rely on this ecosystem for survival in initial life stages before venturing into the deep sea. Kasa with support from IUCN and Forestry commission sought  to restore mangrove in South Tongu District of the Volta Region. The exercise, done in collaboration with youth, women and men from the communities not only identified locations for restoration but also provided seedlings and carried out the planting. The initiative also engaged community members on the importance of mangrove forest in the environment and what it takes to ensure the forests reach maturity. 

 

In previous years, communities along the coastline in the Volta region were well barricaded from tidal waves by thinning mangrove forests. However, due to livelihood activities such as mangrove harvesting, the forests are now shrinking and far apart. Smoking of fish and other seafood is common in these areas with mangrove being the preferred source of firewood. Due to this, introduction of alternative livelihood is a key component to restoration efforts to avoid a recurrence of the current where firewood heaps are aligned along the coastline and in markets. 

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