By Solomon Gumah
Tamale, Aug. 19, GNA – More than two million vulnerable groups from the Northern and Volta Regions are to benefit from a gender-responsive adaptation project on climate change.
The project dubbed: “Strengthening Investments in Gender Responsive Adaptation”, (SIGRA) is being implemented in three Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) in the Northern Region and two Assemblies in the Volta Region.
It focuses on soil conservation and restoration, irrigation, forestry and land management, rainfall patterns, and promotion of relevant climate change technologies, among others.
It is a five-year project, funded by Global Affairs Canada and implemented by Cowater International and Network for Women’s Rights Ghana (NETRIGHT).
Ms Cynthia Sunu, Senior Programmes Officer at NETRIGHT, speaking at an information briefing session on the project with stakeholders in Tamale, said about 219,000 females and 214,000 males in the Northern Region, and 900,000 females and 800,000 males in the Volta Region would directly benefit from the project.
She said: “Apart from the direct beneficiaries, some 1.2 million females and 1.1 million males in the Northern Region will also indirectly benefit from the project.”
The meeting, organised by NETRIGHT and Cowater International in collaboration with Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA – GH), was attended by women advocacy groups, youth groups and persons living with disabilities.
They discussed climate change challenges in the Northern Region.
Ms Sunu said the project sought to intervene and improve the resilience of Ghanaian citizens, particularly women, girls, and other vulnerable groups by increasing investments in Inclusive and gender-responsive climate adaptation initiatives.
She said it would also help to improve the planning and execution of climate adaptation projects by the MMDAs as well as enhance the voices and influence of vulnerable groups in the areas of government expenditure priorities in the regions.
Madam Elham Mumuni, Technical Specialist on Gender and CSOs for Cowater in Ghana, said climate change presented a complex challenge that required vulnerable groups to join forces in demanding immediate intervention.
Ms Khadija Abdul-Samed Communication and Gender Desk Officer at SWIDA – GH, encouraged women groups not to shy away from issues of climate change, adding its impact could worsen their vulnerabilities.
Miss Abdul-Rashid Salma, Communication Manager at Urban Agricultural Network urged womenups to eschew various superstitious concepts on climate change and endeavour to work towards safeguarding the environment.
GNA