Ghana host’s West Africa climate change centre

Dr. Oteng-Adjei

Source: Correspondent

An International Centre on Climate Change is to be established in Accra, to serve as a hub for information on climate change issues in the Africa sub-region.

The Centre, which would be called the West Africa Science Services Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land (WASCAL), would be sponsored by the German Federation Ministry of Education and Research.

Construction work on the Centre, which would be sited near the Head Office of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSRI) in Accra, is expected to be started before the end of the year.

The German Ambassador to Ghana, Dr Renate Schimkoriet disclosed this when he paid a courtesy call on the Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovations, Dr Kwadwo Oteng –Adjei, in Accra recently.

He said the centre would carry out research and provide ‘science-base’ advice to policy makers and stakeholders on how to combat climate change. “WASCAL would serve as centre for training African scientists and policymakers in the fields of climate change and land management”, the ambassador noted.

“Climate change has become one of the most challenges facing West Africa and needed effective and reliable centre to monitor and provide information on the menace,” Dr Schimkoriet stated.

Dr Oteng-Adjei, in his remarks, lauded the project saying climate change, is among areas which needed attention and support and said “government welcomes any individual and organization willing to invest in the area of climate change.”

He said adequate information is needed on the climate to help government initiate mitigation and adaptation to combat the effect of global menace.