GPRS IMPLEMENTATION

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THE GHANA POVERTY REDUCTION STRATEGY Integration
and Progress of Environmental Issues By
Winfred Nelson NDPC

• November 03 2004

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Outline of Presentation

• GPRS- A Gist
• Environmental Issues in the GPRS
• SEA of the GPRS
• Some Challenges
• Conclusion

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What is the GPRS?

• The GPRS is the Government of Ghanas
  comprehensive framework of policies,
  strategies,programmes and projects aimed at
  ensuring economic growth and poverty reduction
  over a three year period

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Goal

• TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABLE EQUITABLE GROWTH,
  ACCELERATED POVERTY REDUCTION AND THE PROTECTION
  OF THE VULNERABLE AND EXCLUDED WITHIN A
  DECENTRALIZED DEMOCRATIC ENVIRONMENT

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Broad GPRS Objectives

• Ensure macro-economic stability
• Increase production and gainful employment
• Facilitate direct support for human resource
  development basic services
• Expand special programmes to support vulnerable
  groups
• Enhance good governance

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Environment in the GPRS

• The GPRS focuses on the use of environmental
  resources in the creation of wealth while making
  sure that the environment is not depleted
• The GPRS addresses deforestation, water and air
  pollution. Inadequate sanitation and waste
  management, land degradation, coastal erosion as
  well as the use of natural resources in the
  creation of wealth.

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Production and Gainful Employment

• Concerns on deforestation, land degradation
  through mining and farming activities, loss of
  coastal ecosystems and fisheries will be
  seriously addressed together with those from
  manufacturing industries.
• the use of biological diversity through community
  management of natural resources and the
  encouragement of the private sector investment in
  ecotourism and cottage industry.

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Human Resources and Basic Health

• safe water and environmental health, ensuring
  safe liquid and solid waste management.
• Other issues highlighted are water borne diseases
  such as malaria and guinea worm infestations.

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Special Programmes for the Vulnerable and
Excluded

• Issues on disaster management that may result
  from earthquakes, flooding

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Monitoring and Evaluation (1)

• The GPRS seeks to monitor all projects and
  programmes through focus groups to capture
  conditions that can negatively impact the poor.
• Environmental monitoring ---------------Environmen
  tal Protection Agency all MDAs as well as the
  District Environmental Management Teams.

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Monitoring and Evaluation (2)

• Trans-boundary management of environmental
  resources such as water, air, and biodiversity in
  collaboration with other countries in the West
  Africa sub-region.

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Some observations

• Climate change issues though not well distinct
  are implicitly implied as part of the general
  Environment
• The potential impacts of climate change and
  climate variability on the poor are hardly
  stressed in the GPRS

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• Underlining the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy,
  which is the Medium Term Development Policy
  Framework, is a strong recognition for
  environment and sustainability concerns.

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SEA and the GPRS

• Assessment of the GPRS indicated that Environment
  had not been given sufficient attention
• The Purpose of the SEA was to
• assess the environmental risks and opportunities
  
• identify appropriate mechanisms to ensure that
  sound environmental management contributes to
  poverty reduction in Ghana

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• The Strategic Environment Assessment
• trained a wide range of stakeholders at the
• MDA level
• District Assemblies
• parliamentary representatives
• civil society, NGOs and business associates
• -SEA manual has been developed to guide the MDAs
  and District Assemblies in mainstreaming
  environment concerns in the Ghana Poverty
  Reduction Strategy.

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• Several fora on environmental issues such as
  Climate Change, Strategic Environmental
  Assessment, Desertification etc were organized
  for parliamentarians, ministers of state, MDAs,
  NGOs and District Assemblies and these are
  ongoing for the Ghanaian populace and
  particularly decision makers to appreciate the
  importance of environment in national
  development.

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• A handbook for District Development Plan
  Sustainability
• appraisal has been developed to assist District
  Assemblies to appraise their development
  programmes and projects in conformity with
  sustainable development standards.

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Update of the GPRS

• SEA local Consultant
• Representation on each thematic group
• Each MDA expected to use Advisory note from sea
  team
• Group Coordinator-Production and Gainful
  Employment

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some Challenges Reflections

• Gradually policy makers and businesses are
  beginning to have a deep appreciation to
  consider environment as a priority for poverty
  reduction programmes
• Implementation of some of the recommendations e.g
• green accounting
• Green GDP

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ConclusionEven though it appears much progress
has been made, there is still much to be desired
in fully integrating environment into poverty
reduction strategies
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Thank You