Ghana is charting a bold new course for sustainable growth, one that places Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) at the core of its climate and economic development strategy.
Speaking at the opening of the maiden Africa Climate Dialogue in Accra, Mr. Peter Dery, Director of Environment at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), said Ghana views NbS as a key driver of both ecological balance and economic transformation.
“Nature-Based Solutions are more than environmental interventions; they are development accelerators,” he said. “They generate green jobs, promote social inclusion, and restore ecosystems that regulate water, carbon, and biodiversity.”
Ghana has already recorded 28.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in emission reductions by 2024, representing 45% of its total Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) target. Mr. Dery attributed this progress to “bold policy measures, strategic investments, and practical interventions” that combine innovation, local participation, and ecosystem restoration.
Among the country’s flagship initiatives are: One Child, One Tree Programme, encouraging youth involvement in reforestation; Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project, which promotes responsible mining and ecosystem recovery; West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) Resilience Investment Project, restoring mangroves and wetlands in Keta and Ada to protect coastal livelihoods and biodiversity.
Another effort, the Improved Resilience of Coastal Communities Project, implemented with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and funded by the Adaptation Fund integrates mangrove replanting, shoreline vegetation rehabilitation, and early warning systems to build community resilience.
Despite these gains, Mr. Dery cautioned that financing, data collection, and community participation remain major hurdles to scaling up NbS in Ghana.
He noted that achieving Ghana’s conditional NDC and NbS targets will require about US$15 billion by 2030.
To bridge this financing gap, Ghana is developing a Biodiversity Finance Plan in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and has established Ecosystem Services Accounts to quantify the economic value of nature’s services.
“When we give nature an economic value, it ceases to be invisible in policymaking,” Mr. Dery remarked. “That is how we begin to make smart, sustainable development decisions.”
Delivering the keynote address, Mr. Seidu Issifu, Minister of State for Climate Change and Sustainability, said Nature-Based Solutions are transforming how governments think about development.
“Whether through mangrove restoration that protects coastal communities, agroforestry that enhances food security, or wetland conservation that regulates floods, NbS prove that economic growth and environmental protection can go hand in hand,” he said.
He revealed plans to establish a National Climate Change and Sustainability Hub, envisioned as a policy and research centre to coordinate innovation, build capacity, and attract investment in Ghana’s climate action efforts.
Rev. Dr. Joyce Rosalind Aryee, Board Chair of AC4NCA, said Africa’s environmental crises, land degradation, biodiversity loss, and climate shocks—are also economic threats that demand urgent local solutions.
“These are not distant threats but they are lived realities across our continent,” she said. “But within them lie opportunities. By investing in nature, we can restore degraded landscapes, create green jobs, and build a resilient and prosperous Africa.”
Mr. Jakob Linulf, Danish Ambassador to Ghana, commended the initiative, stressing that Ghana’s natural wealth remains under serious threat from human activities.
He reaffirmed Denmark’s commitment to supporting Ghana in achieving sustainable development through nature-based interventions.
As global climate negotiations intensify ahead of COP30 in Brazil, Ghana’s model provides a blueprint for how African nations can harness nature as both shield and strategy, protecting the planet while powering sustainable growth.
