By Kizito CUDJOE
The Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources, representing the Forestry Commission, has signed a Letter of Intent with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) government for a US$30million grant aimed at supporting forest-fringe communities in the country.
The funds will provide alternative livelihoods that incentivise communities to engage in forest protection, restoration and reforestation efforts.
The grant is part of a broader Resilient Ghana Package launched at COP28 in Dubai, which aims to achieve biodiversity and climate goals. The package is designed to address deforestation and forest degradation – a critical challenge for Ghana, one of the world’s major forest-rich countries and the second-largest producer of cocoa.
At COP27 in Egypt, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo alongside then-UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak co-launched the Forest and Climate Leaders’ Partnership (FCLP), a forum aimed at reducing forest loss and promoting sustainable development.
Building on this, Ghana launched the Resilient Ghana Package at COP28 – with the UAE committing to contribute US$30million toward Ghana’s deforestation and biodiversity efforts.
According to the ministry, these funds will be used to implement targetted interventions in forest-rich areas, promoting sustainable development while halting forest loss. The programme will focus on nature-based industrialisation, green jobs and scaling climate ambition, with a goal to reverse deforestation by 2030.
A signing ceremony for the Letter of Intent to provide funds for implementing biodiversity and climate objectives of the Resilient Ghana Package and REDD+ Strategies took place on September 27, 2024 during the United Nations Climate Week in New York.
The Minister for Lands and Natural Resources, Samuel Jinapor, and UAE Minister for Climate Change and Environment, Dr. Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi, signed the agreement in the presence of Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak – UAE’s Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28 and President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
Following the ceremony, Mr. Jinapor reiterated the country’s commitment to restoring habitats, protecting endangered species and promoting resilient ecosystems.
“Though the challenges are daunting, through collaboration and a shared vision Ghana can lead the way toward sustainable solutions that benefit the global community,” he stated, expressing appreciation for the UAE’s support.
Dr. Amna commended Ghana for its leadership in forest conservation and nature-based climate solutions, noting the partnership’s significance.
“Our investment will not only strengthen Ghana’s afforestation efforts but also have a broader positive impact on local communities,” she said, emphasising UAE’s commitment to the global goal of ending deforestation by 2030.
The country has made significant strides in combatting deforestation, achieving a 48 percent improvement in its high forest zone since 2017.
However, deforestation – driven by agricultural expansion, illegal logging and small-scale mining – remains a pressing issue. Between 2001 and 2015, it is noted that Ghana lost over 209,000 hectares of forest; representing a deforestation rate of 0.19 percent per year.
The Resilient Ghana Package, along with the REDD+ programme, aims to scale up these efforts to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030; in line with global commitments under the Glasgow Leaders’ Declaration on Forests and Land Use.
