​Northern Ghana is more vulnerable to the volatile weather patterns caused by climate change than the rest of the country because it is poorer, drier and more heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture. In trying to raise standards of living for Northern Ghanaians, approaches that combine economic development (in particular agricultural development, given the importance of agriculture to the northern Ghanaian economy) with responses to climate change offer potential triple win outcomes of economic, social and environmental gains.

The objectives of the study are as follows. To identify:

• existing evidence on risks and opportunities associated with climate change as regards economic development, and in particular agricultural development, in North of Ghana;
• knowledge gaps; 
• mapping of external inputs; in order to inform a) measures incorporated into relevant DFID programmes; and b) DFID’s strategy for development in the North.

The study attempts to summarise key findings from the existing information about opportunities for mitigation and adaptation and to briefly map existing activities. To achieve this, the paper details evidence available from a review of literature on opportunities for mitigation/adaptation; a review of programme documentation; and telephone interviews with relevant stakeholders.

For the purposes of this study, northern Ghana is considered to include the three regions of Upper West, Upper East and Northern region.

Emily Darko with Luke Atazona