The Africa Foundation for Climate Change and Sustainable Development with the help of the Green Climate Fund under the auspices of the Environmental Protection Agency is helping the STMA to develop Climate Risk Vulnerability Portal. The Portal when operationalised after consultations, Memorandum of Understanding and training of key staff in the STMA, would enable the STMA to have real data on their Climate related issues, which would aid in proper interventions and programmes to halt the emanate phenomenon. Dr. Franz Alex Esselfie-Gaisie, a member of the team of Consultants working on the project, told a stakeholder meeting on Thursday that the online portal, with a dedicated server for reliability, flexibility and security would be the hub of Climate and Risk data for the Assembly. The project fell under the EPAs initiative to provide the country with a holistic Adaptation Plan, a United Nations Environment Programme with funds from Green Climate Fund. The Portal would provide the public an easy access t o information on climate within the STMA, and investors for policy guidance on investment decision making. Dr. Esselfie-Gaisie also with the Water Resource Institute under the CSIR said the Portal would be geospatial in nature. 'This is a centralised platform with data visualisation and prediction to help in decision making', he added. Dr. Joan Atuley Akandi from the Water Resources Commission at the White Volta Basin Office in Bolga said already Climate change had begun wreaking havoc across the globe with Ghana and the STMA in particular having its fair share. In Ghana erratic rainfall pattern, hotter days and drop in labour capacity had been stated as the effect. In STMA, fishing season had been badly hit, with August and September bumper harvest of fish now in limbo. Also, the harmattan which usually started in January now roars its hazy head in March as stated by Dr. Akandi. She said such variability if not checked and controlled with key mitigation measures might have dire consequences with over one million Ghanaians expected to be poor by 2050. She debunked the perception that Climate change was instigated by demons among certain communities in the country and said it rather anthropogenic-human activities that must be checked. Dr. Steve Ampofo, the Coordinating Consultant for the project and Lecturer at the C.K Tedem University in Navrongo, said the project would enable the three Assemblies chosen; Sefwi Bekwai, Tamale and the STMA to effectively plan and become more responsive in dealing with Climate issues for sustainability. Mr. Abu Mahama, Development Planner within the STMA, described the project as timely and critical in handling the emerging subject of national concern. He prayed that the Portal would soon be activated to serve the intended purposes. Source: Ghana News Agency