Governments must accelerate the implementation of climate adaptation plans to protect vulnerable communities as climate-related risks intensify, experts have said.
They said the growing frequency of droughts, floods, rising temperatures and coastal erosion required countries to move beyond developing adaptation policies and invest in measures that strengthened resilience on the ground.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day peer learning event in Accra, Dr Rens Twijnstra, First Secretary and Head of the Economic Affairs Department at the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, said the global adaptation agenda was entering a new phase in which tangible results, rather than plans, would determine the effectiveness of countries’ responses to climate change.
The event, attended by representatives from Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and the Netherlands, is focused on addressing barriers that delay implementation of National Adaptation Plans.
It is being held on the theme: “Accelerating the Transition from Planning to Implementation in National Adaptation Plan Processes”.
“The event speaks to a profound and necessary shift from planning to implementation. Discussions and strategies alone were insufficient,” Dr Twijnstra said.
“Until you dig a hole, plant your tree, water it and make it survive, you have not actually done a thing”.
Dr Twijnstra said climate impacts were increasingly affecting countries and communities, making adaptation a practical necessity rather than an issue that could remain within policy documents.
He commended Ghana for launching its first National Adaptation Plan earlier this year and said the peer learning event provided an opportunity for countries to identify practical solutions to implementation challenges.
Dr Twijnstra said the Netherlands, despite its experience in water management and climate adaptation, continued to face climate-related risks and was willing to share lessons from its adaptation efforts.
He said climate reports and projects often contained broad recommendations that were difficult to replicate because they lacked context and practical examples of how adaptation measures could be implemented.
Nana Dr Antwi-Boasiako Amoah, Director of Adaptation, Climate Resilience and Risk Management at the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), said adaptation planning had advanced significantly, but implementation remained the critical challenge.
He said governments had improved their assessment of climate risks and development of adaptation strategies, but communities would benefit only when those priorities translated into investments and practical interventions.
“Having a good plan is only part of the journey. The real test is whether those priorities translate into investments and actions that strengthen the resilience of our communities, ecosystems and economies,” he said.
Dr Amoah said successful implementation required strong institutions, effective coordination, reliable data systems, adequate financial resources and active participation by local communities.
He said the Accra discussions would focus on climate finance, coordination mechanisms, nature-based solutions, locally led adaptation and systems for monitoring implementation.
Participants are also expected to visit Ga Mashie to assess the effects of coastal erosion on homes, livelihoods and infrastructure, providing an opportunity to link policy discussions with conditions facing vulnerable communities.
The peer learning event is being organised by the NAP Global Network and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), with support from the Government of the Netherlands and other development partners.
The event brings together practitioners and officials from Ghana, Kenya, South Africa and the Netherlands to exchange experiences on moving from adaptation planning to implementation.
By Albert Oppong-Ansah