Environmental advocacy group, Greenfaith Ghana has petitioned the government to take urgent action to protect farmlands and water bodies, enforce stricter laws against deforestation and land degradation, and promote sustainable agricultural and clean energy initiatives.
The petition, presented to the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council by Felicia Baan Tampoka, President of Greenfaith Ghana, Bolgatanga Circle, also calls on the government to shift investment priorities from fossil fuel expansion toward renewable energy solutions that directly benefit smallholder farmers and local communities.
The petitioners stressed the need for agroecology and large-scale tree-planting initiatives to restore degraded lands and mitigate the impacts of climate change. They also urged the government to prioritize investment in solar-powered irrigation systems and renewable energy to reduce reliance on rain-fed farming, which has become increasingly unpredictable due to climate change.
“Climate change is no longer a distant threat—it is here, and it is deeply affecting our people, particularly women, farmers, and vulnerable communities,” Ms. Tampoka stated.
She explained that the Upper East Region, once known for its rich agricultural productivity, is now facing erratic rainfall, prolonged droughts, rising temperatures, and desertification. These challenges, she noted, are worsened by deforestation, fossil fuel pollution, and unsustainable land practices, all of which directly threaten food security, public health, and livelihoods.
Greenfaith Ghana commended the government for appointing a Minister of State in charge of Climate Change and Sustainability, but urged authorities to ensure that climate funds reach rural farmers, especially smallholder farmers, who struggle to access climate-resilient seeds, irrigation, and sustainable farming techniques.
The petition also called on the government to support women-led clean cooking initiatives by providing subsidies for clean cookstoves and alternative fuels to reduce indoor pollution and save women time spent collecting firewood.
The petition was presented after a climate change awareness walk in Bolgatanga, where participants held placards with inscriptions such as “your food, your future”, leaders must act now, food and energy justice is urgent” to highlight the urgent threats that climate change and energy insecurity pose to food security in the Upper East Region and beyond.
The campaign emphasized how women in the region, who are the primary food producers and caretakers of households, are the most affected by environmental challenges. Many, Ms. Tampoka noted, spend hours searching for firewood due to the lack of clean cooking energy, which not only limits their economic opportunities but also exposes them to smoke-related health hazards.
The Acting Upper East Regional Coordinating Director, Al-Hassan Ibrahim Abdul-Kadr, who received the petition on behalf of the Regional Minister, Donatus Akamugri Atanga who was out of the region, pledged to forward it to the appropriate bodies for the action taken.
Source: A1Radioonline.com|101.1Mhz|Joshua Asaah|Bolgatanga
