Four (4) Senior High Schools in the Eastern Region have been honoured for their outstanding performances in the 2024 Climate Change Debate Competition.
The initiative, organized by the Disaster Resilient Network Ghana (DRN) in collaboration with Eastern Regional Directorate of the Ghana Education Service (GES), aimed to equip students with knowledge on climate issues and empower them to champion community-based solutions.
The award ceremony, held in Koforidua, saw St. Peter’s Senior High School emerge as overall winner, followed by Oyoko Methodist SHS, Aburi Presbyterian Senior High Technical School, and Saviour Senior High School in second, third, and fourth positions respectively.
The schools received certificates of participation and cash prizes of GH₵8,000, GH₵6,000, GH₵4,000, and GH₵2,000.
Dr. Mrs. Ivy Asantewa Owusu, Eastern Regional Director of GES, commended the students for their passion and commitment to climate advocacy.
She further urged the award-winning students to translate their knowledge into action by initiating practical climate projects within their schools and communities.
“We going to have a second face where they will zoom into the practical aspect of it so for instance if this plastic waste that we see around, what can they do with it what is the process that we can do to dispose the waste. So they are going to use their own initiative, their own skill to come out with a practical program, how our environment could be kept clean. So it is a very good project we are encouraging DRN to sustain it” Said the Eastern Regional Director of Education, Dr. Ivy Owusu Asantewa
The Program Engagement Officer at Disaster Resilient Network Ghana, Kofi Obobi underscored the importance of youth-led climate action and the urgent need for solutions as climate-related disasters escalate.
He said post debate climate action project will be implemented to sustain the gains.
“Currently we are embarking on a post debate climate action project where we will let the students move from awareness to action. We need the ideas implemented”.
The students and teachers like expressed confidence that the climate change debate has broadened their knowledge in climate and environmental related issues which have whipped up their interests in activism and advocacy.
“The debate has given ya new insight into what goes on in our environment. It has been very educative and we hope to put it into action. According to late Kofi Annan, he once said climate change is a reality not just anyone’s imagination we need to act and we need to act now” Master Samuel Nhyiraba, lead contestant from St. Peter’s SHS , winner of the contest.
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According to the State of the Climate in Africa 2023 report,African countries risk losing 2–5 percent of their GDP to climate extremes, with the cost of adaptation in sub-Saharan Africa expected to hit US$30–50 billion annually over the next decade.
The report further projects that by 2030, up to 118 million extremely poor people in Africa could be exposed to drought, floods, and extreme heat if immediate action is not taken.
The Climate Debate by Disaster Resilient Network Ghana aligns with various recommended interventions to mitigate climate change effect not only in Ghana but Africa at large with the right mindset of awareness and advocacy among the youth.
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/Obed Kojo Ansah
