By Juliet ETEFE ([email protected])
The Resilience Against Climate Change – Social Transformation Research and Policy Advocacy (REACH-STR) project has officially ended after six years of implementation, with partners making a strong call for inclusive, evidence-based climate action to shape Ghana’s development agenda.
The closing ceremony, held in Accra, brought together stakeholders from government, academia and international partners who lauded the project’s contributions to climate resilience, policy innovation and institutional capacity-building—particularly in the Upper West and Savannah regions.
Funded by the European Union (EU) under the EU-Ghana Agriculture Programme (EU-GAP), REACH-STR was led by the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in collaboration with the Centre for Migration Studies at the University of Ghana, Simon Diedong Dombo University for Business and Integrated Development Studies (SDD-UBIDS) and Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Science and Technology Policy Research Institute (CSIR-STEPRI).
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Massimo Mina, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Ghana, described REACH-STR as a model of integrated climate action that connects research, policy and community resilience.
“This project reflects our shared commitment to building a climate-resilient future. With an investment portfolio of €183million in Ghana’s agriculture sector, the EU is supporting sustainable food systems and inclusive development, particularly in the north where climate impacts are most severe,” he said.
Mr. Mina commended the project’s success in developing practical tools—such as the gender and climate vulnerability hotspot map—and building capacity across multiple sectors.
He emphasised the importance of continuing partnerships to sustain and scale the outcomes, while reaffirming EU’s commitment to supporting climate-resilient agriculture and inclusive development in Ghana.
Representing the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA), Paulina Addy, Director – Women in Agricultural Development Directorate, commended the REACH-STR initiative, highlighting how its work has strengthened decision-making in agriculture and local governance.
“The ministry has observed with appreciation the project’s ability to generate actionable knowledge, promote gender-responsive programming and empower planners through tools that are already influencing development plans,” she said.
She noted that the project’s alignment with national priorities, especially in promoting sustainable agriculture and rural transformation, was timely and essential.
MoFA pledged to integrate the knowledge products and planning frameworks into ongoing programmes.
Charity Osei-Amponsah, IWMI Deputy Country Representative and Project Lead, reflected on the journey, saying: “REACH-STR has shown that inclusive, evidence-led action is possible when institutions work together. We have built tools, trained people and generated knowledge that will outlast the project”.
She noted the awarding of 19 scholarships to Master’s and PhD students, the training of over 50 district development officers and the adoption of a six-step social transformation framework as key achievements that demonstrated real impact on both institutions and communities.
Dr. William Quarmine, the project’s Technical Lead, gave a detailed overview of how REACH-STR developed tools to guide intervention design, strengthen capacity and influence policy.
“We’ve contributed significantly to understanding what social transformation means in a climate context—how it happens, how to support it and how to measure its effects,” he said.
He added that the project produced five major studies, six peer-reviewed articles and over 50 policy recommendations. Tools, such as the participatory mapping guide and the online hotspot maps, now provide concrete support to planners and advocates alike.
Dr. Quarmine also highlighted the project’s outreach, including capacity-building for over 70 development planners across the five northern regions, 30 gender officers and community-level engagements reaching more than 380 individuals.
The event reiterated calls for continued knowledge-sharing, integration of tools into national systems and deeper collaboration among government, development partners, academia and civil society.
