Four short films created as part of the AGRICA project

Based on the results of PIK’s climate risk analysis at district level for Ghana’s Upper West Region (UWR), four short documentaries were created  to show the effects of climate change on agriculture and crop production. The films present different adaptation strategies that can enable local smallholder farmers to better cope with the challenges of climate change and to stabilize their yields, using the example of Northern Ghana.

Impacts of climate change on crop production in Ghana’s Upper West Region

This film provides a snapshot of climate impacts on the agricultural sector in Ghana’s Upper West Region (UWR). Extreme weather events, such as floods, droughts and heat waves, have been occurring more frequently and more heavily as a result of climate change, affecting the livelihoods of the local population and the economic growth of the region. This trend is likely to continue, but effective adaptation strategies can enable local smallholder farmers to better cope with these challenges.

Four strategies for adapting to climate change in Ghana’s Upper West Region

Adaptation to climate change is already necessary today to limit its impacts on the agricultural sector in Ghana’s Upper West Region (UWR). This film presents four suitable adaptation strategies: improved seeds, intercropping of cashew with legume, Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) and irrigation. These strategies have a great potential for local smallholder farmers to cope with the impacts of climate change, stabilize their crop yields and secure their livelihoods.

Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) in Ghana’s Upper West Region

This film provides a short introduction to Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration (FMNR) as an adaptation strategy in Ghana’s Upper West Region (UWR). In FMNR systems, farmers use pruning to encourage the growth of trees and shrubs that regenerate the soil and enhance crop yields. Furthermore, the growth of trees and shrubs can help to prevent soil erosion and, therefore, serve as a flood protection. It can also increase the amount of shade and deliver valuable by-products for food and fodder production.

Irrigation in Ghana’s Upper West Region

This film provides a short introduction to irrigation as an adaptation strategy in Ghana’s Upper West Region (UWR). Irrigation, particularly in the dry season, can help local smallholder farmers to grow vegetables and other crops for their own consumption and for sale on the local market, making them more resilient to climate change.

The films were produced by Barbara van Rijn from BvR Producties in cooperation with Francis Jarawura from the University of Development Studies (UDS) in Wa, Ghana, the Ghanaian Ministry of Food and Agricultura (MoFA) and the GIZ-project Resilience Against Climate Change (REACH).