UAE Invests $30 Million In Ghana's Biodiversity Efforts

The United Arab Emirates and the Republic of Ghana announced a $30 million partnership on Sunday, focused on nature-based community development and climate solutions.

The framework of the partnership identifies six investment areas, including biodiversity corridors, reforestation, and agroecology, that aim to provide benefits for climate, biodiversity, and community development while emphasizing gender equality and youth involvement.

This initiative is aligned with Ghana's Resilient Ghana nature-climate strategy. Minister of Climate Change and the Environment Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak Al Shamsi and Ghana's Minister of Lands and Natural Resources Samuel A. Jinapor signed a letter of intent.

Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, the UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28 and President of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), was also present during the signing ceremony alongside Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability Abdulla Balalaa.

"Our partnership with Ghana is a testament to the UAE's focus on global biodiversity, climate, and development goals. It underscores our commitment to the UAE Consensus which calls for the ending and reversal of deforestation by 2030 and highlights the importance of the protection and preservation of biodiversity," Al Shamsi said, according to WAM.

"Our investment in Ghana will not only bolster the country's afforestation efforts but will also create a broader positive impact on local communities. By backing a comprehensive set of initiatives aimed at forest protection and enhancement, we aim to strengthen local livelihoods and foster greater community engagement," she added.

Al Mubarak emphasized that COP28 established a new standard for coordinating efforts on nature and climate, as well as for securing investments based on plans created by nature-rich countries.

She highlighted the UAE-Ghana partnership as an excellent example of this approach, which will help maintain the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius while also advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and protecting biodiversity.

Jinapor stated that addressing deforestation requires significant human and financial resources, noting that while Ghana is receiving carbon payments, there are important implementation gaps that need to be filled with additional financial instruments to achieve greater emission reductions.

He explained that the partnership with the UAE aims to provide essential support for improving livelihoods and protecting ecosystems. He also expressed gratitude to the UAE government for their commitment and assured them that the resources would be used effectively.

The UAE and Ghana will share some of their first projects from their partnership at COP29 in Baku this November and again at COP30 next year.