A programme on Municipal Climate Partnership between Kwadaso Municipality Assembly and Neu-Isenburg in Germany on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation ended on Monday at the New Administration Block of the Kwadaso Assembly at Edwenase in Kumasi.
Unlike any other sister-city programmes, the Kwadaso-Neu Isenburg project, which was started in 2019, is purely on Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, with the focus on afforestation, renewable energies, sensitisation on sustainable waste management, and the establishment of fair trade.
Mr. Richmond Agyenim-Boateng, Kwadaso Municipal Chief Executive (MCE), in a welcome address, explained that Kwadaso as one of the newly-created municipal assemblies, needed to identify relevant partnerships elsewhere to ensure rapid growth and accelerated development for the Municipality.
He said the Climate Change Partnership project was an agreement between Neu-Isenburg and Kwadaso Municipal Assembly with support from Global Engagement Germany to “provide assistance to the Kwadaso Municipal Assembly to go into tree planting, solar energy, waste management, and export.”
Mr. Agyenim-Boateng said a total of €5,000,000 had been proposed for the ten years (2019-2027) project, out of which GH¢1,350,000 had been released to the Assembly to support the tree planting exercise, supply and installation of 700 foot pressed hand washing facilities in basic schools, health facilities and other institutions.
So far, over 10,000 trees have been planted and is expected to be increased to about 15,000 by the close of 2022, and the plan to supply and install solar panels to public institutions to reduce electricity costs, and also to establish solid waste sorting centres at some selected transition stations where refuse is gathered which can also create employment for the youth.
Mr. Dirk Gene Hagelstein, Mayor of Neu-Isenburg in Germany, said Ghana, unlike Neu-Isenburg, was blessed with lots of sunshine and wind, therefore, the people of Kwadaso should take advantage of renewable energy, afforestation, and solar/wind energy to avoid unnecessary spending on gas and electricity.
The Partnership Co-ordinator, Mr. Osei-Tutu Karikari, together with Mr. Dirk Wolfing, Member of the Council of Neu-Isenburg responsible for climate protection and greening, jointly did a presentation on the project.
Mr. Osei-Tutu Karikari disclosed that some 40,000 economic trees were being planted within the Kwadaso Municipality, mainly around basic schools, road shoulders and medians, as well as catchment areas of river bodies within the Municipality.
The Kwadaso-Neu Isenburg Partnership has already provided three solar powered boreholes to the Edwenase Rehabilitation Centre, Denkyemuoso community, and the Methodist Technical Institute (MTD).
From Thomas Agbenyegah Adzey, Kumasi
