Officials from the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources on Friday, September 27, 2024 engaged stakeholders in the Effutu Municipality on its Second West African Coastal Areas (WACA) Resilience Investment Project at Winneba.The meeting which was presided over by the Effutu Municipal Coordinating Director, Mr. Abdulai Alhasan Issifu saw the team taking staff of selected Departments in the Municipality through the project’s goals as well as discussed possible ways the Assembly would adopt to facilitate local support and project sustainability.A Principal Planning Officer at the Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, Mr. Daniel Nsowa stated that the WACA program was aimed at strengthening the resilience of targeted communities and areas in coastal settlements of West Africa. According to him, the programme was developed in partnership with coastal communities in countries including Ghana, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Mauritania, Sao Tome and Principi, Senegal and Togo.Mr. Nsowa noted that the implementation of the WACA programme was being executed through a portfolio of WACA Resilience Investment Projects which mainstream climate risks including flooding, temperature, extreme weather and resilience measures into national policies and strategies.He said that the implementation of the project also includes social and physical investments in three sectors particularly vulnerable in hotspot areas threatened by coastal Sea Level Rise (SLR), floods and erosion.Mr. Nsowa rallied the support of all relevant stakeholders and institutions for a scaling collaboration, financing, knowledge and dialogue for successful resilience in the West African Sub-Region and at mobilizing investment for coastal resilience through bilateral discussions with traditional development partners for concessional and grant financing.Mr. Dickson Agyeman of the Wildlife Division of the Forestry Services Commission, on his part explained the importance of practicing the Community Resource Management Area (CRIMA) Model in ensuring that all persons in coastal communities were involved in helping to protect the natural ecosystem.He charged technocrats to partner with traditional leaders in the communities to agree on a legal framework with other alternative measures in protecting the natural ecosystem.
STORY BY: CHARLES BAAH ABOAGYE & BERNICE OFORIWAA AGYAPONG -ISD
Last modified: October 10, 2024
