Rainfall data as a case for investigation into Climate Change in Ghana

Abstract

Climate change has become a catch phrase in all disciplines, and that global temperature has increased as a result of climate change, however, much has not be done on whether only analysis of rainfall data, without linking it to its impact on a particular case, evidences climate change. This study therefore analysed merely rainfall to determine whether it is an indication of climate change. Rainfall data was collected from 8 synoptic meteorological stations in Ghana for a 40-year period (1966-2005). The results have shown that average rainy days and average total rainfall for selected months for selected stations have varied which according to the working definition cannot be referred to as climate change. By using the normalised rainfall departure approach, rainfalls have also varied from year to another which cannot also be referred to as climate change.

The Sahelian drought might have extended to the northern Ghana because there were continuous negative rainfall departures (meteorological drought) in stations in the northern Ghana from 1966 to 1975. Based on the findings of this research, in order to conclude that climate in Ghana has changed using rainfall as case, timeline research needs to be conducted which should focus on the impacts of rainfall on, for example, crop production and river discharge.