Adaptation Communication Update Series: Ghana and Nigeria

Read Adaptation Communication Update Series: Haiti and Burkina Faso here.

The NAP Global Network is currently supporting 20 countries in developing their first Adaptation Communication (ADCOM)—a voluntary, flexible, and country-driven mechanism established under the Paris Agreement that boosts the visibility and profile of adaptation by including information on priorities, implementation, and support needs, plans, and actions.

With the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP 26) around the corner in November, several countries are already engaging stakeholders in shaping the ADCOM. Burkina Faso, Eswatini, Ghana, Haiti, and Nigeria have all held inception meetings that aimed to launch the process and build capacities.

Ghana

Ghana held their inception workshop on July 21, 2021. Taking an experience-sharing approach to gathering the information needed for the ADCOM, Ghana’s Environmental Protection Agency ran this meeting with participants from research institutions, government agencies, department project leaders, adaptation practitioners, and private sector and civil society organization (CSO) representatives.

Participants became familiar with the ADCOM process, exploring its objectives and providing experiences to draw from. Their inputs will inform the development of an ADCOM that identifies Ghana’s adaptation actions, existing gaps, needed support, and lessons learned.

Dr. Antwi-Boasiako Amoah of the EPA said, “A lot is happening on climate adaptation in Ghana, and adaptation reporting [through the ADCOM] provides a tool to bring the pieces together to make it a whole.”

Nigeria

On August 3, 2021, Nigeria’s Department of Climate Change gathered stakeholders in person and virtually from various government and non-governmental organizations, academia, the private sector, and development partners to share perspectives on adaptation priorities, goals, and achievements.

Participants agreed on an ADCOM approach that is participatory, inclusive, and gender responsive.

“The environmental sensitivity of adaptation actions will be given attention in order to identify the unintended environmental costs incurred in implementing adaptation actions by the different stakeholders,” said Dr. Ahmed Abdullahi, the national consultant leading the ADCOM development process.

Nigeria’s ADCOM process will also involve monitoring adaptation progress in rural areas, informing decisions with Indigenous knowledge, and considering the environmental impacts of adaptation actions. A draft outline of the document will be created following a stakeholder consultation workshop that will take place in August 2021.

For updates on the development of ADCOMs assisted by the NAP Global Network, watch our social media channels or News feed.


About the NAP Global Network

The NAP Global Network was created in 2014 to support developing countries in advancing their NAP processes and help accelerate adaptation efforts around the world. To achieve this, the Network facilitates sustained South–South peer learning and exchange, supports national-level action, and enhances bilateral support for adaptation and climate-sensitive sectors through donor coordination. The Network’s members include individual participants from more than 150 countries involved in developing and implementing National Adaptation Plans. Financial support for the Network has been provided by Austria, Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Ghana inception workshop. Health and water group gathering information for the ADCOM.
Inception workshop to develop Nigeria’s ADCOM, Barcelona Hotel, Abuja, August 3, 2021.