Communities in the north adapt strategies to meet challenges of climate change

Eight communities in the Upper East and Northern regions have identified and proposed to adapt high priority climate change adaptation strategies to help meet the challenges of climate change.

The most important strategies they are proposing to adapt include, dry season farming, livestock rearing, tree planting, preparation and use of organic manure and income generating activities.

These, they explained, would not only help the people to supplement their income as a result of poor yields from rain fed agriculture but also build up soil fertility and protect the environment.

The communities are Tariganga, Farfar, Kugri, and Akara in the Garu-Tempane District and Zambulugu, Saamin, Jawani and Dimia in the Mamprusi East District.

They are being led and supported by the Adaptation Learning Programme (ALP) under CARE International-Ghana, in its five year programme to work with poor and vulnerable communities to help them identify and adapt positively to the challenges of climate change.

The communities that had earlier identified and validated potential adaptation strategies at various community-wide meetings, were holding a workshop in Bolgatanga, organized by ALP, to analyze the feasibility of the adaptation strategies and adapt those that they needed most.

Other strategies they proposed to adapt were; early maturing and drought resistant crops, forming savings and loan schemes, encouraging the youth to learn vocational skills, advocating for good road network to connect communities to nearby big markets and building reinforced, strong foundation houses to withstand floods and wind storms.

Mr. Romanus Gyang, Manager of ALP, explained that the process involved many steps, the first being a climate vulnerability capacity assessment (CVCA) conducted in the communities which documented the hazards and coping strategies, then the potential adaptation strategies were identified, and the possible challenges and ways of finding solutions to them also discussed.

The criteria covered the feasibility, sustainability, how beneficial and how environmentally friendly each proposed strategy was.

“All that was geared towards helping the communities to select strategies that are resilient for implementation so as to avoid the possible situation of mal-adaptation,” he said.

Mr. Gyang said the communities, which were selected on pilot basis, were involved in every stage because it was important that they did most of the preparation and work on their own so as to sustain the programme.