The Africa Policy Research Institute (APRI), in close collaboration with the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre (GCIC), is proud to announce the launch of its flagship report on Locally led adaptation (LLA) titled ‘Unlocking Adaptation Potential: Insights into Ghana’s Climate Change Policies, Initiatives, and Local Actions.’ This comprehensive report delves into the critical issue of climate change adaptation and explores locally-led strategies and initiatives to address the challenges posed by climate change in Ghana, identifying barriers and enabling factors for adaptation to inform the country’s Nationally-Determined Contribution (NDC) implementation.

The report, which is based on rigorous research and case studies conducted across various agro-ecological zones of Ghana, highlights the growing impact of climate change on vulnerable communities and ecosystems. It sheds light on the importance of locally led adaptation as a key approach to building resilience and safeguarding livelihoods in the face of climate-related risks.

The report underscores the significance of placing local communities at the heart of climate change adaptation efforts. It showcases inspiring stories of communities taking ownership of their adaptation actions, leveraging traditional knowledge, and implementing climate-smart practices. The adaptation initiatives showcased in the report further emphasize the need for fostering community participation, engagement, and ownership to achieve long-term sustainability.

In her welcome address, Rukayatu Sanusi, the Executive Director of the Ghana Climate Innovation Centre said that “the impact of climate change from coastal erosion to extreme weather events are evident in various sectors, including agriculture, health, and natural resources. However, amid these adversities, we have witnessed the resilience and determination of local communities to rise above the challenges and protect their livelihood although not without challenges.  This has been evident with the businesses in our incubator”.

In his keynote address, Dr Daniel Tutu Benefoh, the Acting Head of the Climate Change Unit provided an overview of the policy landscape in Ghana and showcased the progress made and the opportunities that lie ahead. He stressed that “the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) underscore the country’s commitment to climate action, with specific adaptation measures to build resilience across diverse sectors”. He further re-iterated that the Unit welcomes “more exposure of the strategies, initiatives, and practices adopted by communities, driven by their aspirations to improve rural women’s livelihoods, restore ecosystems, and assert their agency in the face of climate inaction; so that it can be well integrated into the implementation of the country’s NDCs”.