The Founding Director, Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies, University of Ghana has called on the government to immediately address the issues with climate change in the country.

Professor Chris Gordon said climate change is widening the gap between the rich and poor in society.

A situation he maintained can make most people unhappy, as it has in other parts of the world.

As a result, the professor wants climate change to be seen as a social issue.

The professor made this known on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show with Kojo Yankson on Monday, May 23.

“I’m going to say something here which may be controversial. Now if you are a peasant farmer with your hoe and cutlass under the heat, you feel the effect of climate change because you no longer can work as you used to but compare that to a government dignitary who sleeps in an air-conditioned bedroom, drives in an air-conditioned car to his air-conditioned office, he doesn’t feel climate change.”

“So climate change is going to increase the gap between the rich and the poor and the quality of their lives and that is not fair. That is not equitable. So we shouldn’t see climate change just as an environmental issue but also a social issue which can drive nations to a point where the people are so unhappy about the current situation as has happened in several other countries in the world.”

He was speaking in relation to last Saturday’s downpour.

Following hours of rain, parts of Accra and other urban centres in the Greater Accra Region, including North Kaneshie, Kwame Nkrumah Circle, and Kasoa in the Central Region were flooded.

This led to some destruction of homes and other properties of some Ghanaians.

The issue also affected the free flow of traffic on some major roads in the capital.