Accra: 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.
According to Ghana News Agency, the initiative, named the Financing Locally-led Action for Resilient Ecosystems (FLARE) Project, will provide grants to women-led groups, community-based organisations, entrepreneurs, and other local actors to implement innovative solutions addressing the impact of climate change on WASH services and livelihoods.
Funded by the Water Justice Fund through WaterAid Netherlands, the one-year project 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, stated that the financing mechanism recognises that women and local communities are best placed to identify climate-related challenges and develop practical solutions. He emphasized that 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.
Mr Musa highlighted that the initiative builds on the success of an earlier community grant programme worth GHS400,000, 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, explained that the mechanism is designed to enable communities to identify their own climate challenges and develop sustainable, locally driven solutions. Three grant categories have 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 noted that eligible applicants whose proposals address community climate challenges would undergo technical review before funding decisions are validated by community peer panels to ensure transparency and local ownership. 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, emphasized that the initiative is grounded in the principle of water justice, which recognises access to safe water as a fundamental human right. She noted that women possess indigenous knowledge and are central to water management, conservation, and climate adaptation in many communities.
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 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.