ICTs for Climate Change Adaptation in Ghana

1. Rome, 7 September 2011ITU Project“Climate Change Adaptation & Mitigation: the Case of Ghana” Cristina Bueti, Programme Coordinator ITU

2. By driving down emissions in the ICT sector itself 1 • By cutting emissions and raising energy efficiency in other sectors 2 • By helping countries adapt to the negative effects of climate change 3 How ICTs can tackle climate change?

3. Accra Call to Action (1) ICT plays a critical role for: Mitigation Adaptation Capacity building Technology transfer Overall ICT impacts every facet of human life – it is a driving engine for socio-economic development

4. Accra Call to Action (2) Enhance the transformational role of ICT for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, will require the use of three technology types: telecommunication systems, observation systems, and information systems. Recognize that there is need to build capacities in developing countries to support ICT as tool for climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Capacity development is required in three dimensions - institutional development, human resources enhancement and systems development, in particular, relating to legislative and regulatory frameworks. Forge partnerships and engage all stakeholders to address climate change, due to its multi-disciplinary nature, is critical.

5. ITU Project in Ghana • How the Telecommunications Sector in Ghana can Reduce Its Own Emissions • The Role of ICTs in Climate Change Adaptation: the Case of Ghana

6. Key Stakeholders are: Agencies International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Ministry of Communications ° In cooperation with Environmental Protection Agency Sponsors

7. Climate in Ghana • Total GHG emission is estimated to be 24MtCO2e. Equivalent of 1tCO2e per capita. • Energy, Agriculture and Land use change and forestry are the sources of GHG. • Energy production, consumption and transport constitute key source of emissions. Oil exploitation is expected to impact on the emission growth in future. • CO2 and CH4 are the major important GHG gases. • Evidence of climate change abound in Ghana. Temperature has increased by 0.6 - 0.8 °C since 1960. • According to projections of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), by the year 2080, the rainfall in the country will reduce by 20 to 40 per cent while the temperature will rise by 4.5 C.

8. Ghana & UNFCCC • Ghana signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) at the Rio de Janeiro Earth summit in June 1992 and ratified same on 5 September 1995. • The Kyoto Protocol to the UNFCCC was also ratified on 16 November 2002. The instrument of ratification was deposited at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in March 2003.

9. The Effects of Climate Change in Ghana • All these conditions will not be suitable for the growing of cocoa anywhere in the country. • As a result of climate change, only the Western Region is producing the bulk of the nation's cocoa as the other regions have lost their soil fertility. • The rainfall pattern in the country is already affecting maize production and by the year 2020 it is projected that there will be a seven per cent decline in maize production. “Africa's contribution to greenhouse gases is low; however the continent is suffering the most in terms of the effect of climate change. Cocoa for instance could become a rare crop in the next 15 years if something is not done to reverse the effects of climate change.” H.E. John Dramani Mahama, Vice President, Ghana

10. How ICTs Can Help Ghana to Adapt to the Effects of Climate Change • Ghana is experiencing rapid growth in ICT infrastructure & services • This increased access to information, services and applications brings the potential to facilitate adaptation to climate change across a wide range of sectors in Ghana. • ICTs are the key to unlocking a broad range of solutions which can help countries like Ghana adapt to climate change. • Ghana has a well developed ICT training infrastructure, which it can use to ensure that the right skills are available to implement programmes which marry ICTs to climate change adaptation.

11. Adaptation: Involving ICTs • Ghana already has a National Climate Change Committee, currently consulting on the discussion paper “Ghana Goes for Green Growth”. • National telecommunication policy is promoting the migration from separate networks to a single unified network generation networks platform which reduces the number of switching centres and involves higher capacity equipment. • Min of Comms & Min of Env developed guidelines for the deployment of masts and base stations for the communication industry • Ministry of Communications is pursuing the migration from analogue to digital transmission of radio and TV which envisages significant reduction of transmitter power. • National e-government network project which will extend broadband infrastructure to all the District Assembly areas and allow the use of ICT to provide emergency telecommunications

12. Climate Change: Adaptation includes Ghana’s ICTs • Risk of more frequent/serious extreme climate events could produce service disruption. • Hence, Ghana’s ICTs will need: • More robust infrastructures. • Greater technical knowledge. • Enhanced engineering capabilities and international standards • Photo Ghana Goes for Green Growth

13. Preliminary Assessment • No single ICT solution can deliver all of the necessary capabilities required for adaptation. • The multiplicity of ICT solutions required means that Ghana will need to prioritise the optimum technologies to achieve its stated climate change adaptation objectives. • ICT solutions to climate change adaptation in Ghana will need to deliver the following functions: observation; analysis; planning; implementation and management; capacity building; networking.

14. Next Steps • Climate change is complicated and uncertain. • There is no single mode of adaptation to climate change. • Hence, there is no one recipe for using ICTs in climate change adaptation. • What’s needed: • Primary research in Ghana to consider the role for ICTs in climate change adaptation, using existing adaptation framework(s). • Review which elements can be delivered with Ghana’s current ICT assets and capability. • Consider which ICTs are needed to deliver the optimum capability for climate change adaptation. • Raise awareness and build capacity

15. Expected Results • Guidelines for the telecommunications sector on how to reduce their emissions, including suggested actions to be included in their CSR and internal policies. The first report will also provide guidance on how to implement international standards (including ITU-T Methodology on the Environmental Assessment of ICT). • Guidelines for Ghana as to how it can adapt to climate change using ICTs including suggested actions for the government of Ghana which will be in line with the ongoing UNFCCC process. • Including the establishment of a coalition of stakeholders to mainstream ICT in climate change activities and policies.

16. Looking Ahead to COP-17 • COP-17: 28 November - 9 December 2011, Durban (South Africa) • Linking ICTs with the Cancun Agreements: • The role of technology is already well recognized in the UNFCCC process (through the Technology Mechanisms and the Climate Technology Center and Network – CTCN- established in the Cancun Agreements) • Innovation and the transfer and dissemination of technologies, including ICTs, is key to both mitigation and adaptation.

17. Conclusion “Climate change is affecting Ghana’s economic output and livelihoods and is a threat to our development prospects. This is now everybody’s business, and all stakeholders need to be part of the response.” The Honourable Haruna Iddrisu, Minister of Communications, Ghana It is time to include ICTs in Ghana’s adaptation policy process.

18. ITU Workshop on Progressing the Climate Agenda Through Green ICTs • Where: Seoul, Korea • When: 19 September 2011 • Objective:to move forward the agenda on using ICTs to monitor climate change, mitigate and adapt to its effects. • Organiser • Host

19. Links & Additional Information ITU-T and climate changehttp://www.itu.int/ITU-T/climatechange ITU and climate change http://www.itu.int/climate ITU Symposia & Events on ICTs and Climate Change http://www.itu.int/ITU-T/worksem/climatechange

20. Thank you!Grazie mille! cristina.bueti@itu.int