The government has secured a $7 million grant from the Green Climate Fund to strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities in Northern Ghana.
The seven-year project will be implemented across eight districts and will focus on climate-resilient agriculture, improved early warning systems and increased access to climate finance.
Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, said the project was developed in response to climate-related challenges identified during engagements between the ministry and local communities.
Her statement was read by Ruth Dzokoto, Deputy Director of Administration at the Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability.
Agyeman-Rawlings said climate change was increasingly affecting agriculture, water resources, infrastructure, livelihoods and local economic activity, making it a development challenge rather than solely an environmental concern.
“Climate change is consistently identified not simply as an environmental issue but as a development and livelihood issue affecting agriculture, water resources, infrastructure, livelihoods and local economic growth,” she said.
According to the Minister, local authorities generally understand the climate challenges confronting their communities but often lack the technical capacity, institutional support and predictable financing required to develop practical solutions.
“We also heard very clearly that our local authorities understand the challenges confronting their communities but often require stronger technical capacity, institutional support and access to predictable climate finance to turn their knowledge into practical and bankable solutions,” she said.
The project, secured through the Environmental Protection Agency, will strengthen the capacity of district-level authorities to plan and budget for climate adaptation.
It will also improve access to climate information and early warning systems, while supporting climate-resilient agriculture and ecosystem-based adaptation.
The initiative will further facilitate access to climate finance and strengthen community knowledge and participation in climate adaptation efforts.
Agyeman-Rawlings called for stronger collaboration among government institutions, local authorities, development partners and communities to ensure that climate interventions deliver tangible improvements in livelihoods.
She said coordinated action was necessary to address the growing effects of climate change on vulnerable communities and build more resilient local economies.
