The Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation in collaboration with the United Nation Development Programme, on Monday launched an Adaptation Fund (AF) project aimed at protecting buffer zones of water bodies.

Mr Mahama Ayariga, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation who launched the project in Tamale said the AF project aims at protecting major river basins in the Northern, Upper East and Upper West regions.

He said the project is a four- year project spanning 2016 to 2020 and targeting 60,000 beneficiaries directly.

He indicated that the project would build the resilience and adaptive capacity of rural livelihoods to climate variabilities and 10 districts are to benefit.

Mr Ayariga said the project would develop comprehensive management and investment plans for the White, Black and Oti river basins to take into account climate change impact and its needed interventions.

He urged traditional leaders and other stakeholders to support the government to protect the natural resources for livelihoods.

He said Climate Change Master Plan has already been developed and approved by the Ministry for the purpose.

Mr Ayariga said the project would improve basin level management and planning of water resources and take into account climate change impact on surface and groundwater sources to provide climate responsive community water supply systems for multiple uses.

Madam Christine Evans-Klock, UN Resident Coordinator, indicated that one of the severe factors influencing climate change is desertification.

She said 35 per cent of Ghana’s total land area is prone to desertification.

She noted that the UN has appointed two envoys on climate change due to its negative impact on the globe.

She said severe droughts in some places across Africa has led to increasing worrying signs of malnourishment among children.

Madam Evans-Klock said local economies and livelihoods remain largely dependent on rain-fed agriculture and forestry and much of food production is at the subsistence scale.

Mr John A. Pwamang, Deputy Executive Director of Operations at the Environmental Protection Agency said the adaptation fund project is a result of collective and tireless efforts of stakeholders working constructively in a spirit of hope and nation building.

He said the Climate Change Adaptation Committees at various levels of the project must take the lead role in addressing climate change particularly the project outcome, in accordance with the responsibilities entrusted in them.