Mr Majeed Mohammed, Senior Development Officer, Strengthening Investments in Gender-Responsive Climate Adaptation (SIGRA) has urged Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to take advantage of the SIGRA project to tackle issues of climate change.
He urged them to collaborate and coordinate with the women-led Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to ensure that climate adaptation plans were implemented well and yielded sustainable results that enhanced the resilience of citizens to the effects of climate change.
Mr Mohammed was speaking at the regional launch of the SIGRA project in the Volta Regional capital, Ho.
The SIGRA project is a five-year transformative initiative aimed to advance climate action and inclusive governance in Ghana.
Aligned with the Feminist International Assistance Policy of Global Affairs Canada (GAC), SIGRA seeks to enhance the resilience of Ghanaian citizens, particularly women, girls, and vulnerable groups, by promoting increased investments in inclusive and gender-responsive climate adaptation initiatives.
It also seeks to enhance institutional capacity to integrate gender equality into national adaptation planning processes at the central and local levels, particularly focusing on the Northern and Volta regions, where vulnerability to climate change risks is most acute.
The project is funded by Global Affairs Canada and is being implemented by Cowater International in partnership with Government of Ghana through six key central-level ministries, departments, and agencies, and national and local CSOs including Network for Women’s Rights in Ghana and Women in Law and Development in Africa.
Mr Mohammed, said the project responded to the mutual commitments of both the Government of Canada and the Government of Ghana to address issues related to environment and climate change as expressed in the Sustainable Development Goal 13.
The Senior Development Officer said the focus on gender-responsive adaptation activities and involvement of women rights civil society organisations was welcomed given that women and girls tend to bear the brunt of climate change.
He said the successful implementation of the project would directly improve the resilience of 627,000 Ghanaian citizens and up to five million people indirectly in the Northern and Volta regions of Ghana against the effects of climate change.
Dr Archibald Yao Letsa, Volta Regional Minister, in a speech read on his behalf emphasised that cooperation and support of stakeholders in the implementation process of the project was crucial.
The Minister congratulated Anloga and Akatsi North Districts in the Volta Region on their selection for the implementation of the project and entreated them and other stakeholders to offer the highest level of support and commitment to the project.
He said the impacts of climate change were evident in the Volta region, with rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall patterns, coastal erosion, and increased instances of flooding occurring frequently across many communities.
Dr Letsa said these changes had disrupted the lives and livelihoods of many of the residents in the region, requiring urgent need for climate change adaptation.
“This initiative from Global Affairs Canada and Cowater International is timely and essential,” he said and assured the Volta Regional Coordinating Council’s support for successful implementation of the project.
Mr Geoffrey Groleau, Project Director at SIGRA noted that the project would strengthen the participation, voice, and influence of women-led CSOs in government decision making.
He said the project would also support Regional Coordinating Councils of Volta and Northern regions and strengthen the ability of targeted MMDAs to plan, implement, and report on climate adaptation initiatives.
GNA
