Climate change is one of the greatest development challenges of our generation - Lwanga Puozuing
By Emmanuel Mensah-AbludoThe UpperWestRegional Minister, Charles Lwanga Puozuing, says climate change has emerged as one of the greatest development challenges of our generation globally. It is no longer. . .
-AbludoThe UpperWestRegional Minister, Charles Lwanga Puozuing, says climate change has emerged as one of the greatest development challenges of our generation globally. It is no longer merely an environmental concern; it is an economic, social, and governance issue that demands bold leadership, strategic planning, and collective action. Mr. Puozuing made the remarks in an address read on his behalf by the Upper West Regional Development Planning Officer, Nii Laryea Adjei, at a Sub-National Stakeholder Engagement on Climate Change and Sustainability in Wa. The engagement is in tandem with the proposed establishment of Climate Change and Sustainability Hubs and dedicated Climate Change and Sustainability Units within Metropolitan, Municipal, and District Assemblies across the country. Commenting on the challenge, Nii Adjei said: “The consequences are visible everywhere: in declining agricultural productivity, increasing pressure on water resources, biodiversity loss, rising temperatures, frequent floods, and prolonged droughts. For regions such as ours [Upper West], where agriculture remains the backbone of the local economy, the implications are even more profound. ”He observed that the time has come for climate considerations to influence how we design roads, construct schools and health facilities, manage water resources, support agriculture, protect our forests, and guide spatial development. Nii Adjei emphasised that climate planning should no longer be treated as an appendix to development planning; it must become one of its defining pillars. He therefore encouraged Planning Officers, Coordinating Directors, and technical officers to strengthen their capacity in project preparation and climate financing. “Across the world, substantial financial resources exist to support climate adaptation and mitigation. The challenge has often been our inability to develop technically sound, investment-ready, and bankable proposals. This engagement should therefore equip us not only with knowledge but also with practical skills that will enable our Region and our Assemblies to access these opportunities for the benefit of our people,” Nii Adjei underscored. He reaffirmed the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council’s unwavering commitment to strengthening climate governance across the Region. Nii Adjei pointed out that: “We shall continue to provide leadership and coordination to ensure that discussions on climate change occupy a central place in our regional development agenda. We will work closely with our Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies, traditional authorities, development partners, and all relevant stakeholders to identify and champion regional climate priorities, strengthen institutional coordination, promote sustainable investments, and advocate for increased access to climate finance. ”He told the gathering that: “Together, we shall ensure that climate resilience becomes a defining feature of our regional development agenda rather than an afterthought. ”The Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, Seidu Issifu, in a message delivered on his behalf by the Director of Administration and Climate Finance, Frank Aggrey, told the meeting that individuals, communities, and nations experience the impacts of the climate crisis differently. “Because climate impacts are fundamentally local, our response must be equally local,” he noted. The Director of Administration and Climate Finance, Frank Aggrey,Mr. Aggrey stressed that local government authorities are on the front lines and “represent our most powerful allies” for building community resilience through targeted investments. He said municipalities and districts across Ghana face serious climate action capacity gaps, noting that institutional barriers, resource constraints, limited technical expertise, and political challenges often hinder Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) from fully planning, funding, and executing effective climate solutions. Mr. Aggrey indicated that in order to surmount institutional and other challenges, President John Dramani Mahama established the Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability. He continued that the mission of the Office is to bridge the gaps by coordinating, mobilizing, and effectively utilizing climate finance to build a resilient, low-carbon economy and meet Ghana’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. Touching on climate interventions, Mr. Aggrey pointed out that an Inter-Ministerial and Agency Technical Working Group has been created to serve as the central vehicle for scaling up national climate action for maximum impact. The Director of Administration added that the Office is designing the Climate Change and Sustainability Hub to serve as the nation’s focal point for climate solutions. In addition, dedicated Climate Change Units (CCUs) are to be established across all MMDAs. According to Mr. Aggrey, the Units will deploy specialised expertise to help Assemblies integrate climate actions into Medium-Term Development Plans (MTDPs). “Through these Climate Change Units (CCUs), we will support local authorities by building technical and financial capacity through the delivery of targeted training for local government officers to strengthen institutional readiness,” he stated. Mr. Aggrey also made a presentation on the “Basic Science of Climate Change, Adaptation, Mitigation and Sustainability. The Technical Director, Cedric Dzelu, dwelt on “Ghana’s Climate Change and Sustainability Frameworks. ” and “Climate Change and Sustainability Hub, Sub-national Climate Coordinator,” he took the gathering through the eight pillars of the National Climate Change Policy. The Technical Director, Cedric Dzelu. Some of the issues Mr. Dzelu zeroed in on included “Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC)”, “Environmental Protection Act, 2025 (Act 1124)”, “Ghana National Energy Transition Framework”, “National Adaptation Plan”, “Climate Prosperity Plan”, and “Ghana Green Finance Taxonomy”. The Programmes Officer, Ms. Awo Yaa Akyere Brew, gave an overview of the Office of the Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability and its mandate. The Programmes Officer, Ms. Awo Yaa Akyere Brew. Ms. Brew mentioned some of the challenges facing their outfit as inadequate operational funding, limited staffing, limited inter-sectoral coordination, low understanding of the mandate of the Office, and financial expectations and requests from some actors. A photo session. She, however, added that it is working around the clock to, among others, strengthen stakeholder awareness and engagement to improve the understanding of the Office’s mandate and foster inclusive climate action. 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