A 10-million Canadian Dollar project dubbed “Strengthening Investments in Gender Responsive Climate Adaptation” (SIGRA) has been launched in Accra.
The overall objective of the five-year project (2023-2028) is to improve the resilience of Ghanaians, particularly women, girls, and vulnerable groups through increased investments in inclusive and gender-responsive climate adaptation initiatives.
Under the SIGRA project, five districts, selected based on economic vulnerability and climate change risks, would be supported; Two districts in the Volta and three districts in the Northern Regions.
SIGRA has come at a time when Ghana has been affected by severe deterioration of climate change in her agriculture, livelihood, and food security.
The impact of climate change in Ghana has intensified from the coast towards Northern Savanah.
About 60 per cent of women employed in agriculture are faced with significant hurdles in accessing and controlling resources and assets along the agricultural value chain.
Speaking at the launch of the SIGRA project, Mr Cyril Quist, a Principal Planning Officer at the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development (MLGRD), said the launch marked an exciting chapter of the long-standing engagement with Global Affairs, Canada, and Cowater International, which began about three years ago.
Mr Quist said the SIGRA project would include the provision of technical assistance and support to strengthen governance and national system with key central level Ministries, Department and Agencies.
“SIGRA would also support regional governance stakeholders in the Volta and Northern Regions, and it would strengthen the capacities of the targeted districts to plan and report on climate adaptation initiatives.”
He said additional activities of SIGRA would involve strengthening the participation and influence of women in governing decision-making and climate adaptation issues.
According to Mr Quist, the project would focus on soil conservation, restoration, irrigation, forestation, land management and the promotion of relevant climate change technologies, among others.
“This is what we need right now in order to accelerate actions in achieving the goals of the SIGRA project.
“It is our hope that all relevant actors and stakeholders would render their full support and technical expertise to the success of the SIGRA project,” he added.
Harshita Bisht, Project Manager of SIGRA, said the project would strengthen the capacities of Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to support sub-national planning.
According to Madam Bisht, the SIGRA project would involve MDAs and Municipal, Metropolitan and District Assemblies (MMDAs) to access climate finance.
She explained that grants up to 40,000 Canadian Dollars a year for three years were up for beneficiaries who would design, implement, monitor, and report on gender-responsive climate adaptation projects.
The SIGRA Project Manager stressed the need to increase awareness at the community level on gender-inclusive adaptation.
She said SIGRA would increase capabilities around locally-led climate finance as well as build on existing institutional systems and best practices to address climate finance gaps.
Dr Rose Mensah-Kutin, West Africa Regional Director of ABANTU for Development, in a presentation on Civil Society Organisations perspective on gender equality and climate adaptation in Ghana, said the impacts of climate change and gender had resulted in disruption of livelihood systems and displacement of communities.
That, she said had denied access to clean water and sanitation facilities and contaminated water bodies.
