The Ghana Inception Workshop of the Solving the Sustainability Challenges at the Food-Climate-Biodiversity Nexus (Solving-FCB) Project was held on 24th September, 2024 at the ACECoR Multipurpose Building, University of Cape Coast, Ghana. In attendance were participants were from the three partner Universities in Ghana, namely the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) and University of Energy and Natural Resources (UENR). The Director and Co-director of Solving-FCB Project, Professor William Cheung, and Professor Rashid Sumaila respectively and a co-lead of the Solving-FCB West Africa Project Dr. Temitope Sogbanmu also joined the workshop via zoom.
Professor Denis Aheto, Director of ACECoR, provided a brief welcome and introductory remarks about the FCB Ghana Project which focuses on understanding the interlinkages between Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fisheries and food, climate and biodiversity nexus. Following this, Professor Cheung gave a presentation highlighting the pressing sustainability challenges at the intersection of food, climate, and biodiversity. According to him, the ongoing decline in marine biodiversity is predominantly driven by human activities, and is further exacerbated by the impacts of climate change. He emphasized that in order to address these challenges, future actions must focus on key priorities, including promoting equity, implementing adaptive ecosystem-based management strategies, and improving access to data and expertise for informed decision-making. Additionally, he highlighted the Nature Futures Framework (NFF) as a pivotal tool in shaping sustainable pathways which could guide policymakers, researchers, and stakeholders in making integrated decisions that align with biodiversity goals while addressing food security and climate challenges. Professor Rashid Sumaila also delivered a brief talk emphasizing the importance of protecting Africa’s extensive coastline and the need for concerted efforts to safeguard marine resources, which are vital for supporting Africa’s population. He urged every African to take responsibility for protecting the sea, ensuring that the continent remains liveable and sustainable for future generations. This was followed by a goodwill message from Dr. Temitope Sogbanmu.
Dr. Richard Adade made a presentation on literature review conducted by the UCC team which is focused on the impacts of illegal, unregulated and unreported (IUU) fishing in the small-scale fisheries sector on food, climate and biodiversity nexus. Participants agreed that the other partner universities would contribute to this initiative and expand the review to cover the industrial, semi-industrial and small-scale fisheries sectors. This collaborative approach would provide comprehensive data and understanding of the IUU fishing landscape and its impact on sustainability across the small-scale, semi-industrial and industrial fisheries sectors.
The Coordinator for the University of Cape Coast team, Dr. Margaret Fafa Akwetey, led discussions on project activities and timelines. The team agreed on observing some commemorative days such as World Fisheries Day, World Oceans Day and World Habitat Day to enhance the visibility of the Solving-FCB Ghana Project and also educate local communities about some critical issues related to the Project. Other activities discussed were research, grants writing, students training, webinars, policy workshops and short courses. Participants also agreed on supporting UENR to establish a centre on inland and blue economy.
Professor John Kuwornu, the Pro-Vice Chancellor of UENR, and Prof. Wisdom Akpalu, the Project Collaborator from GIMPA, expressed the commitment of their institutions to work collaboratively in all project activities towards the achievement of project objectives. In his closing remarks, Professor Aheto indicated that the Solving-FCB project holds significant promise and urged all participants to contribute their quota to its success.
View Photos from Ghana Inception Workshop