The government has secured a $7 million grant from the Green Climate Fund (GCF) to strengthen the resilience of smallholder farmers and vulnerable communities in Northern Ghana against the impacts of climate change.
The Minister for Environment, Science and Technology, Dr Zanetor Agyeman-Rawlings, announced the development, with her statement delivered on her behalf by Ruth Dzokoto, Deputy Director of Administration at the Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability .
A Seven-Year Initiative for Eight Districts
The seven-year project will be implemented across eight districts in the North East, Upper East, and Upper West regions . The initiative focuses on three core areas: promoting climate-resilient agriculture, improving access to early warning systems, and expanding access to climate finance for communities most vulnerable to climate shocks .
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings explained that the project was developed in direct response to challenges identified during the Ministry’s engagement with affected communities .
“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 .
Addressing the Capacity Gap at Local Level
The Minister acknowledged that while local authorities understand the climate challenges confronting their communities, they often lack the technical capacity and predictable financing to convert that knowledge into 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 stated .
Project Components and Implementation
The project, secured by the government through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), will focus on several key interventions:
· Strengthening District-Level Capacity: The initiative will support district assemblies in developing stronger approaches to climate adaptation planning and budgeting .
· Improving Climate Information: Communities will gain improved access to climate data and early warning systems, enabling farmers and residents to better prepare for climate-related risks .
· Promoting Climate-Smart Agriculture: The project will support climate-resilient agricultural practices and ecosystem-based adaptation measures .
· Facilitating Climate Finance Access: Vulnerable communities will be supported in accessing climate finance, while community knowledge and participation in adaptation efforts will be strengthened .
Why Northern Ghana Matters
Northern Ghana remains particularly exposed to climate-related pressures. The region faces increasingly erratic rainfall and long dry seasons that have led to chronic food shortages, drying water bodies, and infrastructure destruction from flooding . Smallholder farmers, who rely heavily on rainfed subsistence agriculture, are especially vulnerable to these changes .
High temperatures reduce the land’s water-retention capacity, and extreme rain events risk dam collapse and downstream flooding . The grant aims to address these vulnerabilities by combining investment in climate-resilient agriculture with better access to information, early warning mechanisms, and financial resources.
Call for Coordinated Action
Dr Agyeman-Rawlings stressed the importance of collaboration among government institutions, local authorities, development partners, and communities to ensure that climate interventions translate into practical improvements in livelihoods.
She said coordinated action is critical to addressing the growing impact of climate change on vulnerable communities and building more resilient local economies .
Broader Climate Agenda
The grant forms part of Ghana’s broader efforts to strengthen its capacity to adapt to climate change. The government, through the EPA and the Ghana Meteorological Agency, has been implementing projects funded by the GCF to build the resilience of agroecosystems and rural livelihoods across northern Ghana .
The Ministry has also launched the National Adaptation Plan (NAP), developed with support from the GCF and UNEP, to provide a unified framework for integrating climate adaptation across national, sectoral, and district-level development planning .
The $7 million grant is expected to create tangible benefits for communities whose livelihoods depend heavily on agriculture and natural resources, while strengthening local institutions’ ability to respond effectively to climate-related challenges .
