Conversations on climate change have gone beyond future projects. Its impacts are faced by many communities in Ghana through rising temperatures, unpredictable rainfall patterns, floods, droughts, coastal erosion, and threats to food security and livelihoods.
Climate change is impacting nearly every sector of life in Ghana. These challenges make one thing clear, that adaptation is more than necessary and long overdue.
In response to these growing climate risks, Ghana launched its National Adaptation Plan (NAP) in December 2025, a framework that is designed to help the country strengthen resilience and integrate climate adaptation into national and local development planning.
The NAP identifies key climate vulnerabilities and outlines actions that can help communities, institutions, and sectors such as agriculture and food security, water, biodiversity and ecosystems, health, water resources and infrastructure become more resilient. While this is an important step forward, there is still a major gap. Many young people remain unaware of the NAP and the role they can play in advancing it.
Young people are already leading conversations, influencing communities, and driving innovation. Recognising that universities are important spaces for shaping researchers, policymakers, climate advocates, and development practitioners, they provide an excellent platform to engage on Ghana’s NAP.
In light of this, the Youth Climate Council, in partnership with the Youth Bridge Foundation, is holding a training on Ghana’s NAP at the University of Environment and Sustainable Development (UESD) in Somanya on 1st April 2026 at 11:00 AM.
The training seeks to bridge the gap between climate policy and youth action by introducing students to Ghana’s adaptation priorities and creating opportunities for them to contribute meaningfully to climate resilience efforts.
The training will cover:
– An introduction to climate change impacts in Ghana
– Ghana’s climate vulnerabilities and adaptation priorities
– An overview of the National Adaptation Plan
– Sectoral adaptation strategies in agriculture and food security, water, biodiversity and ecosystems, health, water resources and infrastructure
– Climate finance and implementation pathways
– The role of youth and universities in climate adaptation
Beyond increasing awareness, the training is also expected to encourage student-led climate initiatives, strengthen youth participation in policy discussions, and build stronger collaboration between universities, civil society, and policymakers.
As a university with a strong focus on climate, sustainability, and environmental development, UESD provides the right space to begin this conversation.
Climate adaptation cannot happen through government action alone. It requires researchers, institutions, communities, civil society, and most importantly, young people who are ready to move beyond awareness and become active participants in shaping Ghana’s climate future.
The future of climate resilience in Ghana depends on the actions we take today. Young people must not only understand the National Adaptation Plan, but they must also see themselves within it because #youthmatter in dealing with the impact of climate change.