By Mercy Darko
Cabinet has given its approval for the passage of the Ghana Space Policy and Implementation Plan that will enable the full operationalization of the Ghana Space Agency next year.
This plan will among other things harness space technology for the socio-economic development of the country and support efforts by the Ghana Space Science and Technology Institute to explore the space industry for accelerated national growth.
Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia announced this at the ongoing Group on Earth Observations, GEO Week in Accra. He stressed that the space technology will also help Ghana manage her natural resources, provide early warning for agriculture and food security, climate change adaptation and mitigation, job creation, space services, transportation and health services.
Two decades ago, the global community highlighted the need for coordinated observations relating to the state of the Earth at the World Summit in South Africa. Over the years, alot of investments in Earth Observations (EO) capabilities have been made with growing and enabling the widespread application of environmental intelligence to tackle challenges.
However, many low- and middle-income countries are lagging in infrastructure, capacity, and expertise to tap into advances made in earth observation technologies. It is for this reason that stakeholders have converged on Ghana for the 2022 Group on Earth Observations, GEO Week.
Vice President Bawumia said the evidence of melting glaciers, rising carbon emissions, rapid degradation of the earth’s natural resources, heatwave, wildfires, severe storms and floods attest to the fact that there is the need for all to collaborate to find innovative solutions to build resilient economies, secure food, and water systems, and ensure the sustainable management of the planet.
He said Ghana will soon pass the Space Policy to complement other initiatives to make the earth safer. Vice President Bawumia called for global accurate and timely data to minimise the negative impact on the earth. He outlined some of the initiatives of the government to protect the earth.
Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr Kwaku Afriyie in a remark said amid mounting environmental challenges and rapid technological advances, the meeting in Ghana will make proffer workable solutions to inform better local decisions on issues such as climate adaptation as well as food and water security.
In a remark, the GEO Secretariat Director, Yana Gevorgyan stated that through years of collaboration, some positive results and common objectives have been achieved. She stressed the need to consider new ways of thinking and partnership to accelerate global action for local impact to make the earth safer.
Earth observations are data and information collected about planets.
These include data on satellites.
GEO is a global partnership that works to make these observations openly available around the world. It also convenes partnerships which produce Earth observation-based tools and services to enable better decisions, policies and investments.