By Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Bolgatanga, Aug. 1, GNA – WaterAid Ghana, a water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) organisation, has launched a €150,000 community financing mechanism to support women-led climate adaptation and resilience initiatives in five districts of the Upper East Region.
Dubbed the Financing Locally-led Action for Resilient Ecosystems (FLARE) Project, the initiative will provide grants to women-led groups, community-based organisations, entrepreneurs and other local actors to implement innovative solutions to address the impact of climate change on WASH services and livelihoods.
The one-year project, funded by the Water Justice Fund through WaterAid Netherlands, is expected to benefit about 14,000 people in 30 communities across the Bongo, Bawku West, Nabdam and Kassena-Nankana West Districts, as well as the Kassena-Nankana Municipality.
The project was launched in Bolgatanga by the Upper East Regional Coordinating Council in collaboration with WaterAid Ghana and WaterAid Netherlands, alongside a call for proposals for climate-resilient WASH initiatives.
Mr Ibrahim Musa, Head of Strategy, Policy and Campaigns at WaterAid Ghana, said the financing mechanism recognised that women and local communities were best placed to identify climate-related challenges and develop practical solutions to address them.
He said the grants would support projects in climate adaptation and mitigation, sustainable livelihoods, water conservation and ecosystem protection, while empowering women to lead local climate action.
“The proposals will target women-led groups and women-led actions to reduce the negative impact of climate change. Issues of livelihoods, adaptation and mitigation projects will all be funded through €150,000 support from the Water Justice Fund through WaterAid Netherlands and channelled through WaterAid Ghana,” he said.
Mr Musa said the initiative built on the success of an earlier community grant programme worth GH¢400,000, which enabled local groups to improve access to climate-resilient water systems and sanitation services.
Mr Richard Ntibrey, Programme Manager for WASH and Climate Resilience at WaterAid Ghana, said the mechanism was designed to enable communities to identify their own climate challenges and develop sustainable, locally driven solutions.
He said three grant categories had been created under the expanded programme to support locally led adaptation initiatives, movement building through advocacy and networking, and learning to improve climate resilience interventions.
Mr Ntibrey said eligible applicants whose proposals addressed community climate challenges would undergo technical review before funding decisions were validated by community peer panels to ensure transparency and local ownership.
He noted that previous beneficiaries had successfully implemented projects, including the mechanisation of community water systems, protection of boreholes from erosion, installation of solar-powered water systems and support for dry-season farming to strengthen livelihoods.
He encouraged women’s groups, entrepreneurs and community organisations to submit innovative proposals capable of improving resilience to climate change while enhancing water security and livelihoods.
Ms Vanita Sureja, Programme Lead at WaterAid Netherlands and the Water Justice Fund, said the initiative was grounded in the principle of water justice, which recognised access to safe water as a fundamental human right.
She said women possessed indigenous knowledge and were central to water management, conservation climate adaptation in many communities that must be tapped.
“This programme keeps women at the centre and supports women-led groups because we know that women have the knowledge and information on where water sources are drying up and how to undertake water harvesting,” she said.
Mr Akamugri Donatus Atanga, Upper East Regional Minister, described the FLARE Project as a strategic investment in building stronger and more resilient communities in one of Ghana’s most climate-vulnerable regions.
He said climate change continued to threaten water security, sanitation systems, agricultural productivity and livelihoods in the region, making locally led adaptation initiatives critical to sustainable development.
The Minister urged women entrepreneurs, community groups, civil society organisations and research institutions to take advantage of the funding opportunity by submitting practical and innovative proposals capable of delivering measurable and sustainable impact.
Naba Salifu Baba Atamale Lemyaarum, Paramount Chief of the Bongo Traditional Area, expressed optimism that the project would demonstrate the value of community-led climate action and pave the way for similar interventions in other climate-vulnerable districts across the region.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali/Lydia Kukua Asamoah
Reporter: Anthony Adongo Apubeo
Email: [email protected]