Canada launches $2.6m climate change project for farmers in Northern Ghana
The Canadian Hunger Foundation (CHF) on March 5, 2013 announced a $2.6 million project to support women and other vulnerable farmers in northern Ghana to adapt to increasingly erratic rainfall and rising temperatures in the region.
Titled the Expanding Climate Change Resilience in Northern Ghana (ECCRING), the CHF said the project will build on earlier successes in the region by expanding into 18 new rural communities to increase harvests and augment incomes.
About 10,000 vulnerable rural women and men are expected to receive direct support through the project, which is benefitting approximately 50,000 people in total.
Household food security and income are both expected to increase by 35% over the 15 months of the project which is being funded by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and CHF and implemented in partnership with the local Association of Church-Based Development NGOs (ACDEP).
“Rising temperatures, less predictable rainfall and shorter growing seasons are all making it harder for farmers— especially women —to support their families in northern Ghana,” President and CEO of CHF Garry Comber said in a statement.
According to officials, the project will raise awareness of the negative impacts of climate change and how they can be reduced, and will improve the capacity of regional organizations, districts, communities and beneficiaries to address climate change and manage natural disasters.
New farming techniques and technologies will also be introduced to increase the use of drought-tolerant crops and improve livestock production methods, the CHF added.
“CIDA is proud to partner with the Canadian Hunger Foundation to help increase the adoption of climate-resilient livelihood strategies and technologies by farmers in Northern Ghana,” said Canada’s Minister of International Cooperation, Julian Fantino.
Protecting and enhancing natural resources will also be a focus, including growing more trees and controlling bush fires, the CHF stated.
By Ekow Quandzie
WHAT IS THIS AND ARE THEY HELPING THESE FARMERS IN IRRIGATION PROJECTS, POOL OFF COMBINE HARVESTORS MACHINERY OR ANY OTHER FARMING MACHINERY WHICH THESE FARMERS CAN BENEFITS OR CLSSROOM WORK, JOKE JOKE