It stressed the link between climate and agricultural production, emphasising the need for communities, especially farmers, to avoid activities that contribute to global warming.

Mr. Issah Toyibu, Regional Programme Specialist at PolicyLink, made the appeal at a sensitization durbar in Sankana, a community in the Nadowli-Kaleo District, on human activities that drive global warming as part of activities to mark the National Climate Change and Green Economy week.

The sensitization also focused on the role and importance of climate information in fostering climate change adaptation and other strategies that promoted sustainable use of water and forest resources.

He expressed hope that the communities would embrace the new agricultural technologies and climate- smart agricultural practices to adapt to climate change while reducing human activities that contribute to climate change.

Mr. Toyibu indicated that PolicyLink had been engaged in influencing policies, particularly in the agricultural sector and, therefore, it initiated the Leading for Change (L4C) activity and trained young people to influence policies at the community level.

Mr. Kelvin Adongo, Assistant Programme Officer at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said awareness creation and sensitization on climate change were vital in achieving the desired results of climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

He stated that the level of knowledge and awareness about climate change issues in the communities was low and that activities such as the durbar were necessary to enable them to get that knowledge and to act decisively.

He advised the people against indiscriminate felling of trees and farming along water bodies as those activities destroyed the water and forest resources and contributed to climate change.

“Even if you can’t put a stop to felling of trees, you should minimise it and also when you cut a tree make sure you plant a tree or two.

Also, ensure good agricultural practices, because those are some of the things that cause climate change,” Mr. Adongo explained.

On his part, Mr. Alphonsus Abobo of the Upper West Regional Agriculture Directorate emphasised the need to take urgent steps to address climate change to avoid dire consequences in the future.

He urged farmers to change their attitude towards clearing trees on their field to farm rather than doing selective stamping, which contributes to climate change.

Mr. Nicholas Tiereke, the Nadowli-Kaleo District Director of Agriculture, lamented that the recent drought in the region affected over 4,000 farmers in the district.

He, therefore, appealed for support in the form of cash and food to alleviate the plight of farmers who suffered the disaster.

Some women at the durbar indicated that they did not wish to fell trees to burn charcoal but that some engaged in that because they had no alternative source of livelihood, especially during the dry season.

They, therefore, appealed to the government and development partners to rehabilitate the irrigation dam at Sankana for them to do dry season gardening as an alternative to charcoal burning.