MENA Newswire News Desk: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ghana have entered a new $30 million partnership to boost biodiversity and advance climate goals through nature-based development. The agreement, announced on Sunday, is expected to support key initiatives that promote sustainability and community growth in the West African nation.
Dr. Amna bint Abdullah Al Dahak Al Shamsi, UAE’s Minister of Climate Change and Environment, and Samuel A. Jinapor, Ghana’s Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, signed the letter of intent in the presence of Razan Khalifa Al Mubarak, UN Climate Change High-Level Champion for COP28, and Abdulla Balalaa, Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Energy and Sustainability.
The partnership sets out six investment areas ranging from biodiversity corridors to reforestation and agroecology, with a cross-cutting focus on gender equality and youth empowerment. It will fall under Ghana’s Resilient Ghana nature-climate strategy and will include metrics for monitoring, reporting, and verification through Ghana’s pioneering REDD+ process.
Dr. Amna Al Dahak Al Shamsi commented, “Our partnership with Ghana is a testament to the UAE’s commitment to global biodiversity, climate, and development goals. This initiative aligns with the UAE Consensus, calling for an end to deforestation by 2030 and focusing on biodiversity preservation and community support.”
Samuel A. Jinapor added, “Despite receiving carbon payments, Ghana still faces critical gaps in implementing climate solutions. This partnership with the UAE offers the necessary financial support to strengthen local livelihoods and ecosystem protection, and we are grateful for the UAE’s involvement.”
The six investment areas identified in the agreement aim to deliver joint benefits in climate, biodiversity, and community development. COP28 and the Forest and Climate Leaders Partnership have already shown the importance of coordinated global efforts to protect biodiversity while achieving climate goals. The UAE and Ghana will outline specific projects under this partnership at COP29 in Baku this November and provide further updates at COP30 next year.