A two-day workshop aimed at building the capacity of some selected community champions on climate change adaptation and mitigating factors has been held in Tamale.
The workshop was also to introduce participants to some local and international guidelines and key concepts on climate change and how the youth could leverage those guidelines to advocate for the protection of lands and other water bodies in their communities.
It was organised by the Savannah Women Integrated Development Agency (SWIDA-GH) in partnership with the Northern Regional Chapter of Activista Ghana, both NGOs, with funding support from the Embassy of Denmark in Ghana.
It formed part of the implementation of the project dubbed: ‘Building Bridges: Empowering Youth as Green Champions for Climate Resilience in Northern Ghana,’ which targeted about 25 youth groups in the region.
Participants included selected leaders of youth advocacy organisations in Tamale, Sagnarigu and Savelugu Municipalities.
Mr Oseni Kabiru, Project Lead, Building Bri
dges: Empowering Youth as Green Champions for Climate Resilience in Northern Ghana, speaking during the workshop, said it was to empower participants on how they could actively participate in preserving the natural resources in their communities.
He called on young people not to relent in their efforts to bring about change on climate change issues adding that its impact was posing an existential threat to their overall well-being.Mr Abdul-Mumin Yussif, Member of the United Force for Development and Climate Reality Fellow, educated participants on some of the national and international frameworks on climate change, and how the youth could take advantage of the existing policies to help increase awareness on climate change issues.
He recommended the use of renewable energy saying it helps in reducing carbon emissions and air pollution.
Mr Issahaku Abdul-Latif, Northern Regional Coordinator of Activista Ghana, expressed the need for a united voice among young people to help advocate for the implementation of
various policies and programmes that best safeguarded the environment.
Hajia Alima Sagito-Saeed, Executive Director, SWIDA-GH, said it was unfortunate that Ghana was signatory to numerous policies on climate change but had failed to implement them to enhance the livelihoods of the people.
Source: Ghana News Agency
