A high-resolution digital climate atlas aimed at embedding scientific data into policy and investment decisions has been launched, as authorities respond to mounting economic risks from climate change.
Communications, Digital Technology and Innovations Minister Samuel Nartey George said the Ghana Climate Atlas will serve as a “scientific compass” to guide economic recovery and strengthen long-term resilience.
“Climate information is no longer a luxury for scientific research. It is now a fundamental tool for development planning, economic management, and national resilience,” he said at the launch.
The platform, developed by the Ghana Meteorological Agency in partnership with the Danish Meteorological Institute, provides localized climate projections at a four-kilometre resolution, a significant upgrade from broader regional models previously used by planners.
It offers detailed data on rainfall patterns, flood risks, drought vulnerability and temperature trends through 2050 and beyond, with officials positioning it as a mandatory reference point for government planning.
According to the minister, the platform will support decision-making on rainfall trends, flood exposure, drought vulnerability, and temperature shifts up to 2050 and beyond, giving public institutions and investors a more detailed basis for project design and risk assessment.
Nartey George said ministries, departments and agencies will be required to integrate the tool into national development plans and local budgets. Engineers designing transport infrastructure will need to account for projected flood conditions, while energy planners will use the data to assess hydropower and renewable investments.
The minister linked the initiative to warnings by President John Mahama about the economic impact of climate change, including risks to food security and hydropower generation at the Akosombo Dam. “Today, we answer that call,” he said.
Officials also highlighted the atlas as a tool to support targeted interventions, particularly for women in rural agriculture and the informal sector who are disproportionately exposed to climate risks. Access to localized data, the minister said, would enable more precise support for women-led green businesses and climate-smart farming.
Beyond domestic policy, the government said the atlas strengthens Ghana’s position under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Paris Agreement by providing the scientific evidence required to access global climate financing, including from the Green Climate Fund.
“We are demonstrating that we have the scientific rigour to use that finance effectively,” Nartey George said. The rollout is a move toward data-driven climate adaptation, seeking to safeguard growth and infrastructure against increasingly volatile weather patterns.
