A local non-profit organisation, the Belim Wusa Development Agency (BEWDA), has called for stronger collaboration between communities and government to tackle the growing impact of climate change in northern Ghana.
According to the organisation, while Ghana had outlined several policies and programmes to address the climate crisis, these efforts would fall short without active community involvement.
Speaking at a one-day citizens’ engagement workshop at Zebilla in the Bawku West District, the Executive Secretary of BEWDA, Mr Peter Asaal, said worsening droughts, rising temperatures, and extreme heat were already taking a heavy toll on water systems, public health, and food security.
The workshop aimed to raise awareness of the climate challenges affecting people across the five northern regions: Kassena-Nankana West and Kassena-Nankana Municipality — starting from April 2026.
Ahead of the project, BEWDA conducted a climate vulnerability risk assessment across 28 communities in the Bawku West District. The findings identified Agatuse, Tilli, and Komaka as the hardest-hit communities.
Mr Asaal explained that the engagement also formed part of a planned project, the “Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and Civil Society Leadership Mobilising for Better Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (CLIMB) Partnership.”
He said, subject to final arrangements, the project would be implemented by BEWDA in collaboration with WaterAid Ghana in five districts and one municipality — Bawku West, Nabdam, Bongo, Kassena-Nankana West, and Kassena-Nankana Municipality.
Mr Asaal called for stronger collaboration in areas such as public education, environmental protection, and climate-smart agriculture to help mitigate the effects of climate change. He stressed that investments in these areas must also be properly maintained by community members.
He noted that the assessment revealed serious climate risks in the affected communities.
The District Chief Executive for Bawku West, Mr James Ayamwego, described the engagement as timely, saying it provided a platform for communities and authorities to interact, share experiences, and review development challenges.
Mr Ayamwego stated that the findings from the community scorecard exercises on water security, sanitation, environmental degradation, and climate vulnerability were clear and could not be ignored.
“Access to water, improved sanitation, and good hygiene practices remain key priorities in our development agenda and are reflected in our Medium-Term Development Plan for 2026–2029,” he stated.
A participant from Tilli, Memuna Awintomah, blamed the worsening water crisis on the indiscriminate felling of trees and appealed to the government to deploy more forest guards.
“Our boreholes are drying up. Women spend long hours searching for water from wells, and even our animals are affected,” Millicent Jacob Alale, a resident of Agatuse, lamented. She called on traditional authorities to step in and help address the situation.
FROM FRANCIS DABRE, DABANG, ZEBILLA
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