Climate Action and Just Transition in Ghana: Experiences and Evidence in Mining, Water and Forestry Sectors

Efforts to tackle climate change involve taking actions to stem rising temperatures and associated effects, but these need to be undertaken in ways that ensure preservation of livelihoods and legitimate interests of those who will be adversely affected, especially vulnerable populations who might have contributed very little to the causes of climate change the first place. This chapter engages policies that are intended to ensure a just transition for vulnerable groups in the course of implementing climate actions, and to address questions which include the following: Are vulnerable people aware of climate change processes and actions put in place to tackle them in Ghana? What just transition policies are in place, and to what extent were vulnerable people involved in the formulation and implementation of these policies? What does evidence from the small-scale mining sector, with regard to land, water and forests say about the state of just transition policies and implementation in Ghana? This is undertaken through review and analysis of climate policies and actions, and juxtaposing these with happenings in the small-scale mining sector and their impact on land, water and forests to assess how Ghana is performing on climate obligations. The findings show that there is lack of coherence between articulated climate policies and actions, vis-à-vis what pertains on the ground. This can be seen in the small-scale mining sector where land degradation has continued instead of reversing, water resources being polluted, and forest resources under constant siege from illegal mining operations. To conclude, the analysis reveals glaring lack of coherence between policies and concrete actions with reference to climate change and just transition.