Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in the Northern Region have advocated sustainable climate financing and stronger policy measures to address the impact of climate change on vulnerable populations.
They noted that women and socially disadvantaged groups continued to bear the brunt of climate change due to limited access to productive resources, economic opportunities and participation in decision-making processes.
The call was made during the Northern Region Climate Finance Forum held in Tamale through a partnership between the Strengthening Investments in Gender-Responsive Climate Adaptation (SIGRA) Project and the Center for Opportunities and Rural Development (CORD) Ghana.
The forum brought together stakeholders from government institutions, CSOs, development partners, financial institutions, academia, women-led SMEs and the media to deliberate on strategies to strengthen investments in climate adaptation initiatives across northern Ghana.
Madam Lauren Intven, Project Lead for the SIGRA Project, said entrenched social norms, patriarchal land ownership systems and gender discrimination in access to economic opportunities continued to weaken women’s ability to effectively adapt to the effects of climate change.
She said unequal household responsibilities and limited participation in decision-making processes further reduced women’s resilience to climate-related shocks.
Madam Intven noted that women and socially disadvantaged groups also faced barriers such as limited access to land, finance, credit facilities, assets, information and social protection systems.
She said these challenges hindered their ability to adopt climate-resilient practices or benefit from climate adaptation investments.
The SIGRA Project, funded by the Government of Canada, seeks to improve the resilience of Ghanaian citizens by increasing investments in inclusive and gender-responsive climate adaptation initiatives.
Madam Intven emphasised that climate change posed serious implications for Ghana’s economy, particularly in areas such as food security, water resources and the livelihoods of women and vulnerable groups.
She, therefore, called for deliberate actions to ensure that climate financing mechanisms were accessible and responsive to the needs of women and marginalised communities.
Madam Esther Nyamekye Opoku, Programmes and Policy Director at CORD Ghana, said the CSOs Climate Finance Forum formed part of broader efforts to strengthen collaboration among CSOs in the region to champion sustainable climate adaptation initiatives.
She explained that the initiative was also designed to expose participants to existing climate financing opportunities to enable them mobilise resources to support climate-related interventions within their communities and organisations.
“This forum serves as a platform for sharing knowledge on climate financing, strengthening partnerships and increasing access to financial opportunities for climate action,” she said.
Mr Ali Adolf John, Northern Regional Minister, whose speech was read on his behalf, emphasised the need to make climate adaptation finance more accessible and effective for communities most affected by climate change.
He mentioned ongoing efforts by government and development partners to strengthen climate resilience through initiatives such as climate-smart agriculture, land restoration and sustainable water management programmes.
He said the country had made progress in expanding climate and development financing following the approval of the updated Climate Prosperity Plan by government.
Mr John reaffirmed the commitment of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council to promoting environmental sustainability and inclusive climate resilience and commended the SIGRA Project and CORD Ghana for organising the forum and supporting efforts to build a resilient and sustainable future for communities in northern Ghana.
By Solomon Gumah