Including inland water bodies, Ghana covers 238,539 km2. In the south, the country is covered by rainforests but in the north, the Sahara makes the land both hotter and drier.
In Ghana and most of sub-Saharan Africa, as well as in many developing countries worldwide, agriculture continues to be the most important sector in the national economy. For countries such as Ghana, where 70% of the population lives on income generated through agriculture, climate change is a big concern. As well as being a cornerstone for the national economy, the agricultural sector is also extremely important for national food security.
At present, Ghanaian agriculture is rainfed, with only 4% of its irrigation potential being yet developed (Ghana, MOFA 2009). In time, it is expected that reduced and increasingly erratic rainfall will put pressure on the agricultural sector. In addition, extreme weather events will increase in frequency and will have serious consequences for agriculture, forestry and food security, all of which will impact both individual incomes and the national economy.
In response to this, the government of Ghana has already enacted some major decisions designed to help the country adapt to climate change and manage the risks it will bring. These include a series of laws passed by the National Assembly and extensive programs for climate change adaptation initiated by the government and NGOs.
Key initiatives in Ghana
Climate-Smart Villages: In West Africa, CCAFS is working with several partners to develop climate-smart villages. A climate-smart village a site where farmers work with researchers and other local partners to test a portfolio of climate-smart technologies and practices. Projects are implemented in an integrated manner in order to realize the triple benefits of climate-smart agriculture: productivity, adaptation and mitigation.
In Ghana, the CCAFS climate-smart village is located in Lawra, in the Lawra Jirapa region. Read more : Developing Climate-Smart Village models in West Africa.
National science-policy dialogue platforms: In Ghana, CCAFS is helping to develop a national science-policy dialogue platform: a network of national stakeholders, including scientists and policy makers, who regularly exchange knowledge on adaptation to climate change. Read more: National Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Security Action Plan of Ghana (2016-2020)
Climate-Smart Agriculture Alliance: Ghana is a member of the Climate-Smart Agriculture Alliance launched in June 2015, in Mali. This alliance, in partnership with both Economic Community Of West African States (ECOWAS) and CCAFS, aims to increase farm productivity and incomes sustainably and equitably, to enhance adaptation and resilience to climate variability and change, and to control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions wherever possible and appropriate, at a regional level.