A climate scientist at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Prof Leonard Amekudzi is calling for policies to promote awareness on climate change.

Speaking at his professorial inaugural lecture on the topic: Cracking the climate change code: The sub-Saharan Africa Revolution, Prof. Amekudzi was optimistic the move is essential for curtailing the negative effects of climate change.

“Policies promoting public awareness and education on climate change will foster a better understanding of the issue and encourage individual actions to reduce emissions and support climate friendly initiatives,” he said.

Prof. Amekudzi also acknowledged the Ghana Meteorological Agency's continuous dissemination of weather information.

He however asked the government to adequately resource the Agency to deliver on its mandate.

“Ghana Meteorological Agency over the years has provided observational weather stations across the country. However, the density of the network of these stations has to be improved.

“Therefore, the government should adequately resource and empower GMet to expand their observational network to continue collecting, interpretating and archiving reliable climate data for climate impact studies and early warning operations,” he said.

Prof. Amekudzi reiterated the importance of afforestation to mitigate global warming.

He urged policy makers to institute a reward system for afforestation practices.

“Policies promoting reforestation and forest conservation can help sequester atmospheric carbon dioxide.

“Governments can implement incentives for afforestation, support sustainable forestry practices, and protect existing forests to enhance carbon sinks,” he said.