GOVERNMENT OF GHANA
UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
GLOBAL ENVIRONMENT FACILITY
Project Title
“ENABLING ACTIVITIES FOR THE PREPARATION OF GHANA’S SECOND NATIONAL COMMUNICATION TO THE UNITED NATIONS FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE”
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Project Title 1
LIST OF ACRONYMS 4
A. BACKGROUND/CONTEXT 6
STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNFCCC IN GHANA SINCE RATIFICATION 6
CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF GHANA’S INITIAL NATIONAL COMMUNICATION 8
Brief Description of Activities Carried out During the Stocktaking Exercise 8
Outputs of the Stocktaking Exercise 9
B. SCOPE OF SECOND NATIONAL COMMUNICATION 11
PROJECT OBJECTIVES, ACTIVITIES, OUTPUTS AND INDICATORS 11
NATIONAL CIRCUMSTANCES 14
Stocktaking exercises 14
GREENHOUSE GAS INVENTORY 17
Previous Activities 17
Proposed Activities 17
GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF STEPS TAKEN OR ENVISAGED TO IMPLEMENT THE CONVENTION 20
VULNERABILITY AND ADAPTATION 20
CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION 22
Major outputs: 26
OTHER RELEVANT INFORMATION 26
INTEGRATING CLIMATE CHANGE CONSIDERATIONS INTO SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES, PLANS AND PROGRAMMES 26
DEVELOPMENT AND TRANSFER OF ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND TECHNOLOGIES 27
RESEARCH, SYSTEMATIC OBSERVATION AND EARLY WARNING SYSTEMS 29
EDUCATION, TRAINING AND PUBLIC AWARENESS 30
CAPACITY BUILDING 32
CONSTRAINTS & GAPS; RELATED FINANCIAL, TECHNICAL & CAPACITY NEEDS 33
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE 34
COMPILATION AND PRODUCTION OF SECOND NATIONAL COMMUNICATION (SNC) 34
C. PROJECT JUSTIFICATION 35
Project Linkage to National Priorities, Action Plan and Programmes and CP/GCF/RCF, CCA and UNDAF situation analysis 36
D. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY 38
E. INPUTS 38
F. RISKS 39
G. PROJECT MANAGEMENT ARRANGEMENTS 39
Monitoring & Evaluation 40
Monitoring and Reporting 40
Project Monitoring Reporting 40
Legal Context 41
H. PROJECT PLANNING MATRIX 43
I. INDICATIVE ACTIVITY BUDGET 47
J. PROJECT WORK PLAN 50
ANNEX I 52
ANNEX II 53
ANNEX III 55
ANNEX IV 56
SIGNATURE PAGE 60
LIST OF ACRONYMS
APR - Annual Project Report
CDM - Clean Development Mechanism
CGE - Consultative Group of Experts
CH4 - Methane
CO - Carbon Monoxide
CO2 - Carbon Dioxide
COMAP - Comprehensive Mitigation Analysis Process
COP - Conference of Parties
EEZ - Exclusive Economic Zone
ENAPT - Environmental Applications and Technology Centre
EPA - Environmental Protection Agency
EST - Environmentally Sound Technologies
ESTIS - Environmentally Sound Technologies Information System
GCM - Global Circular Models
GDP - Gross Domestic Product
GEF - Global Environment Facility
GHG - Greenhouse Gas
GIS - Geographic Information System
HFC - Hydrofluorocarbon
IETC - International Environment Technology Centre
INC - Initial National Communication
IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
IR - Inception Report
IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
(World Conservation Union)
LDC - Least Developed Country
LPG - Liquefied Petroleum Gas
MAGICC - Model for the Assessment of Greenhouse-gas Induced Climate Change
MES - Ministry of Environment and Science
MOU - Memorandum of Understanding
MOFAEP - Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning
NAP - National Action Plan
N2O - Nitrous Oxides
NC - National Communications
NCAP - Netherlands Climate Assistance Programme
NCSA - National Capacity Self Assessment
NCCSAP - Netherlands Climate Change Studies Assistance Programme
NEX - National Execution Modalities
NGO - Non-governmental Organization
NIR - National Inventory Report
NMVOC - Non-Methane Voltaic Organic Compounds
NOX - Nitrogen Oxides
PAC - Project Advisory Committee
PFC - Perfluorocarbon
PM - Project Manager
PMT - Project Management Team
PSC - Project Steering Committee
QA - Quality Assurance
QC - Quality Control
RETSCREEN - Clean Energy Project Analysis Tool
RCU - Regional Coordinating Unit
RISØ - UNEP Collaborating Centre, Copenhagen Denmark
SANET - - Sustainable Alternative Network
SCENGEN - Scenario Generator – Database containing large number of GCM experiments
SF6 - Sulphur Hexafluoride
SO2 - Sulphur Dioxide
SNC - Second National Communication
TEG - Technical Expert Group
TNA - Technology Needs Assessment
TTCLEAR - UNFCCC Technology Transfer Clearinghouse
UNEP - United Nations Environment Programme
UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
UNFCCC - United Nation Framework Convention on Climate Change
UNDPCO - United Nations Development Programme Country office
UNIDO - United Nations Industrial development Organization
UNITAR - United Nations Institute for Training and Research
WEAP - Water Evaluation and Application Model
WMO - World Meteorological Organization
A. BACKGROUND/CONTEXT
1. The Republic of Ghana lies on the West Coast of Africa between latitudes 4.5o and 11.5o N and longitude 3.5o W and 1.3o E. It shares borders with Togo on the East, Burkina Faso on the North, La Cote d’Ivoire on the West and the Gulf of Guinea to the South. Ghana covers an area of 238,539 square kilometers. Extensive water bodies, including Lake Volta and Bosomtwi, occupy 3,275 square kilometers, while seasonal and perennial rivers occupy another 23,350 square kilometers. In line with customary and international treaties, Ghana has a 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). It has 18.5 million inhabitants, of which 60 percent live in rural areas. Although the Ghana is no longer considered a least developed country (LDC), the levels of poverty are still high by any measure. Many of the rural poor are dependent on natural resources for their livelihoods.
2. Ghana is endowed with abundant natural resources, which serve as a basis for her industrialization efforts. These natural resources have been degraded in the process of exploiting them for the socio-economic development of the country. The processes leading to the degradation include uncontrolled mining activities, extensive agricultural production system, unsustainable logging, unsustainable fishing practices, and unplanned urbanization.
3. The Country Programme for Ghana for the period 2006-2010 will focus, among others, on the mainstreaming of environment and energy into Ghana’s policy and planning frameworks. UNDP will offer technical assistance to improve environmental policy and to develop principles and practices to support the mainstreaming of Energy and Environment into GPRS and other National Policy frameworks. This project is therefore fully in line with the Country Programme as well as the United Nations Development Framework for Ghana (2006-2010), and will contribute specifically to the achievement of CP Outcome 4 on sustainable use of natural resources and the promotion good environmental management, and outcome 5 on strengthening of national and local systems for emergency preparedness, disaster prevention, response and mitigation.
STATUS OF IMPLEMENTATION OF THE UNFCCC IN GHANA SINCE RATIFICATION
4. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was adopted and opened for signature at the Rio Janeiro Earth Summit in June 1992. The Convention entered into force globally on 21 March 1994. Ghana ratified the UNFCCC on 5 September 1995 and subsequently the Convention entered into force in Ghana on 6 December 1995 after three months of ratification.
5. The ultimate objective of the UNFCCC is to achieve stabilization of greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations in the atmosphere below a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic interference with the global climate system. The level of GHG achieved within a time frame should be sufficient to permit ecosystems to adapt naturally to climate change, to ensure that food security is not threatened and to enable economic development to proceed in a sustainable manner.
6. At its 25th sitting, (26 November, 2002), the Parliament of the Republic of Ghana passed a resolution to ratify the Kyoto Protocol. The final document of ratification was deposited at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in March 2003, thus allowing Ghana to accede to the Kyoto Protocol and hence becoming a party to it.
7. The UNFCCC obliges Parties to, among others;
· Prepare their national communications
· Develop, update and publish inventory of anthropogenic emissions by sources and removal by sinks.
· Formulate, implement and regular update of national programmes containing measures to mitigate or adapt to climate change.
· Promote and cooperate in the development, application, diffusion and transfer of technologies.
· Promote sustainable management and enhancement of sinks and reservoirs for greenhouse gases.
· Mainstream or integrate climate change into national development.
· Promote and cooperate in scientific technological technical, socio-economic and other research, systemic observation and development of data archives.
· Promote and cooperate in prompt exchange of relevant scientific, technological, technical, socio-economic and legal information
· Promote and cooperate in education, training and public awareness in issues relating to climate change.
8. Ghana has continuously striven to fulfill her commitments mainly through the implementation of some climate change projects co-funded by the government with support, both technical and financial, from bilateral and multi-lateral agencies. An overview of such project activities/studies undertaken in Ghana during the period 1996-2005 aimed at meeting the country’s commitment under the UNFCCC is provided below.
· Inventory of national greenhouse gas emissions by source and removal by sinks for period 1990-1996 (UNDP/ GEF Project).
· Vulnerability and adaptation Assessment of water resources and Coastal Zone under the Netherlands Climate Change Studies Assistance Programme Phase I (NCCSAP, Completed in year 2000.)
· Vulnerability and adaptation assessment for Agricultural Sector (Cereal Production) (UNDP/GEF Project)
· Mitigation Assessment for Energy, Land use change, and Forestry (UNDP/GEF Project)
· Guidance for climate change policy Framework (UNDP/GEF Sponsored)
· National Climate Change Scenario Development
· Capacity Building Programme for Clean Development Mechanism (UNEP/ RISØ Project)
· UNIDO Industrial CDM Capacity Building Projects (UNIDO Project)
· Preparation of Ghana’s Initial National Communication (UNDP/GEF Project)
· Climate Change Technology Needs and Needs Assessment (UNDP / GEF)
· The Netherlands Climate Change Assistance Programme Phase 2 (NCAP)
Impacts of climate change on:
i. human health
ii fisheries
iii agriculture (Cocoa Production and Root Crops)
iv land Management (biodiversity, land degradation/erosion/landuse)
v. women’s vulnerability to climate change
vi. linkages between Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy and Climate Change
· UNEP Project Support for Article 6 of the Convention – Education, Training and Public Awareness
9. The most significant achievement is the preparation and submission of Ghana’s Initial National Communication. The initial national communication was completed in December 2000 and was submitted to the Conference of Parties in March 2001.
CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF GHANA’S INITIAL NATIONAL COMMUNICATION
10. The Initial National Communication (INC) lacked substantial details and did not seek the opinion of many stakeholders as would have been desired. In addition, the institutional arrangements for the preparation of the first national communication centered on individual experts which made the national communication process unsustainable. To overcome this shortcoming in the preparation of the second national communication, a national self-assessment exercise was conducted.
11. This self-assessment involved a stocktaking exercise and stakeholder consultation in order to build upon existing activities, institutions and knowledge. Related objectives of this assessment were the identification of gaps and consultation with more stakeholders who could contribute to national communication preparation process.
12. On the basis of this stocktaking and stakeholder consultation exercises, Ghana is submitting this proposal to the GEF through the United Nations Development Programme, for the preparation of her Second National Communication.
Brief Description of Activities Carried out During the Stocktaking Exercise
13. The stocktaking exercise generated the essential information for the preparation of the second national communication.
14. A team of five experts drawn from relevant organizations (including public, private, NGOs, research and academia and the civil society) were tasked to undertake a comprehensive review and analysis of all activities carried out under climate change enabling activities and top-up from the GEF and other bilateral climate change related programs using the matrix provided in Annex II. The report of the review is provided in Annex IV
15. The purpose of this review/analysis was to provide a basis for improved second national communication. The tasks carried out by the expert team included, among others, the identification of gaps in Ghana’s Initial National Communication (INC), new areas and/or sectors not covered during the preparation of the initial national communication but which require attention, recommendations of priorities and institutional arrangements for the preparation of the second and subsequent national communications, synergies between related programme such as desertification and biodiversity conservation and lessons learned from the INC.
16. The outcome of this review was presented and discussed at national multi-stakeholder forum on climate change and other expert-level group meetings. The essence was to obtain expert as well as national concurrence and approval of the findings recommendations. In particular, the stakeholder consultations was used as a means to:
· Validate the stocktaking exercise and national priorities to be addressed by the SNC
· Agree on the institutional arrangements proposed for the preparation of the SNC
· Clarify the roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders to be involved in the SNC preparation
· Identify new studies to be carried out to cover areas or sectors not addressed under the INC.
· Identify potential synergies with related programmes; as to how the SNC will also build on other related projects (e.g. the National Capacity Self-Assessment) and other national activities carried out under other relevant international conventions, especially important for vulnerability and adaptation activities.
· Address lessons learned during the INC in relation to process and institutional arrangements.
17. As a country strategy three expert-level stakeholder consultations were carried out under the broad topics (a) greenhouse gas inventory and mitigation, (b) adaptation to climate change, and (c) national capacities for reporting under UNFCCC. These expert-level meetings were technically oriented and only experts from relevant institutions (refer to Annex III) were pulled together to ensure useful and productive discussions.
18. Following from the end of these technical meetings, a two-day national forum of all relevant stakeholders was organized. Participants for this stakeholder forum included members of the National Climate Change Committee (members of which are principally from among relevant climate change policy making institutions – Annex III), the civil society, research and academia, non-governmental organizations, community based organizations and women society groups.
19. The two-day national climate change forum discussed the outcomes of the initial stocktaking exercise undertaken by the five-member team of experts and the outcomes of the meetings under the three broad topical areas indicated above, verified the adequacy of coverage of the issues for the SNC, including programme interventions, institutional arrangements, etc. and provided additional guidance that will ensure transparent and all-inclusive process for the SNC.