Government secures $7 million climate fund grant for Northern Ghana

The government has secured a $7 million grant from the Green Climate Fund to help strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities in Northern Ghana, Environment, Science and Technology Minister Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings has disclosed.

The seven-year initiative will be implemented in eight districts and will focus on helping communities adapt to the effects of climate change. Key areas of the project include promoting climate-resilient farming practices, strengthening early warning systems and improving access to climate financing for vulnerable populations.

The Minister’s remarks were delivered on her behalf by Ruth Dzokoto, Deputy Director of Administration at the Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability.

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings said the project was developed in response to concerns raised during engagements between the Ministry and communities affected by climate-related challenges.

She noted that climate change was no longer viewed solely as an environmental concern, but increasingly as a development and livelihood challenge with direct implications for agriculture, water resources, infrastructure, household incomes and local economic activity.

According to the Minister, local authorities generally have a good understanding of the climate challenges affecting their communities. However, many lack the technical expertise, institutional backing and reliable funding required to transform their knowledge into workable and investment-ready adaptation projects.

The project, which was secured by the government through the Environmental Protection Agency, is expected to build the capacity of district assemblies to incorporate climate adaptation into their planning and budgeting processes.

It will also enhance access to reliable climate information and early warning mechanisms, while supporting farming methods that are better suited to changing climatic conditions and promoting ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation.

In addition, the initiative will help communities access climate finance and strengthen public knowledge and participation in climate adaptation activities.

Dr Agyeman-Rawlings stressed the importance of closer cooperation between government agencies, local authorities, development partners and affected communities to ensure that climate investments result in tangible improvements in people’s livelihoods.

She said coordinated and sustained action was essential to mitigating the increasing effects of climate change on vulnerable populations while creating stronger and more resilient local economies in Northern Ghana.