Communications and Digitalization minister urges collaboration to mitigate climate change impact
Date: 2024-09-18
Ghana's
Minister of Communication and Digitalization, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful has
reiterated the importance of collaboration with the Ghana Meteorological Agency
(GMet) to address climate change's impact on agriculture and other sectors.
Speaking at a recent engagement between GMet and the Parliamentary Select
Committee on Information and Communications, Owusu-Ekuful mentioned the recent
drought in northern Ghana and how timely action on GMet's forecasts could have
prevented its challenges.
The meeting,
held at Accra's Alisa Hotel, aimed to address the Ghana Civil Aviation
Authority's (GCAA) non-compliance with the Amended GMet Act 1002, 2019.
However, discussions extended to GMet's role in national development, with
Acting Director-General Dr. Eric Asuman outlining the agency's vital services
across various sectors.
GMet faces
challenges, including outdated infrastructure, limited financial resources, and
insufficient weather and climate services. To overcome these, Dr. Asuman
proposed initiatives like professional development, academic training, and
internal refresher courses. He also called on the GCAA and Ghana Airport
Company Limited to fulfill their financial obligations to GMet and advocated
for amendments to the GMet Act to secure diverse revenue sources.
The Vice
Chairperson of the committee, Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi, stressed the need for
GMet to enhance its weather information communication. "Accurate
forecasts, with a charismatic presenter, could capture the public's attention,
especially the youth," he remarked.
The Minister
the stressed GMet's data role in preventing agricultural crises. "If
the Ministry of Agriculture had listened to GMet's predictions earlier,
planting could have been timed better to avoid current challenges. It's
essential for all sectors to act promptly on GMet's data," she stated.
By: Nana Appiah Acquaye
