Ghana has reaffirmed its leadership and commitment to advancing Nature-Based Solutions (NbS) as a central strategy for achieving sustainable national development and climate resilience.
"Nature-Based Solutions are more than environmental interventions; they are development accelerators," Mr. Peter Dery, Director of Environment, at the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI), said.
"They generate green jobs, promote social inclusion, and restore ecosystems that regulate water, carbon, and biodiversity."
Dr Dery was speaking at the opening of the maiden Africa Climate Dialogue, organised by the Africa Centre for Nature-Based Climate Action (AC4NCA) in Accra.
It was on the theme: "Harnessing Nature-Based Solutions: A Pathway to Sustainable National Development."
The event brought together government officials, policymakers, academics, private sector players,
and civil society representatives to share experiences and explore practical pathways to use nature's potential to address the climate crisis while promoting inclusive economic growth.
Dr Dery said the country had made significant progress in implementing its climate commitments under the Paris Agreement and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).
He said Ghana had achieved an estimated 28.7 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emission reductions by 2024, representing 45 per cent of the total Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) target.
Mr. Dery attributed the progress to bold policy measures, strategic investments, and practical interventions that blended innovation, community engagement, and the power of nature.
He highlighted flagship initiatives such as the 'One Child, One Tree' programme, the Landscape Restoration and Small-Scale Mining Project, and the West Africa Coastal Areas (WACA) Resilience Investment Project, which is restoring mangroves and wetlands in Keta and Ada to protect coastal livelihoods and biodiversity.
Another initiative, the Improved Resilience of Coastal Communities Project, being implemented with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and funded by the Adaptation Fund, uses mangrove replanting, shoreline vegetation rehabilitation, and early warning systems to build community resilience.
He, however, identified financing, data and monitoring, and community participation as major challenges to scaling up NbS in Ghana. He said achieving Ghana's conditional NDC targets and NbS goals would require about US$15 billion by 2030.