An expert on climate change says even though climate change has grave implications for the cocoa, water, mining and food production sectors of African countries, African leaders are yet to fully grasp the phenomenon and its implications for the continent.

The West African Regional Advisor on Climate Change at the United Kingdom Department For International Development DFID, Sean Doolan,  made the remark at a press conference on board the HMS Endurance Ship from the United Kingdom, which is on a 10 day visit to Ghana to raise awareness about climate change.

HMS Endurance is a sole Ice Patrol Ship of the Royal Navy of the United Kingdom dedicated to assisting scientists and researchers with state of the art equipment to gather information on the seabed. It  also collects data that can be used to access climate change in the Antarctic and in Africa.  Whiles in Ghana, the crew will offer training to the Ghanaian Navy on Marine Security and policing of the sea, donate to charity and also participate in the forthcoming UN Conference on Climate Change  in Accra.

Mr. Doolan expressed the hope that the conference would provide the opportunity for African leaders to get some technical insight into climate change.  He noted that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is drawing on research to mitigate and adapt to climate change and its inevitable effects such as global warming, food shortage, drought and other undesirables. He said there is the need for wider engagement of all sector ministries, civil society and indeed a complete national constituency to deal effectively with the effects of climate change.