Accra: Dr Fatima Denton, Director of the United Nations University, Institute of Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA), emphasized the critical need for Africa to manage the interplay between its natural resources and climate change to foster sustainability during the opening of the Natural Resource Management Leadership for Climate Change (NATURELEAD) Course. According to Ghana News Agency, Dr Denton highlighted the complexity of managing Africa's natural resources as a delicate balance between addressing current vulnerabilities and preparing for future scenarios. She was speaking at the event organized by UNU-INRA and the Foreign Service Institute (FSI) in Accra, which aims to equip African institutions with skills and knowledge to handle the intricate relationships between natural resource management, climate change, and economic development. The course addresses significant global challenges such as sustainable energy, food security, water management, and biodiversity conservation. It also underlines t he importance of climate diplomacy and governance in achieving sustainable development. Participants from Ghana, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Liberia, representing West African Anglophone countries, attended the leadership course. Dr Denton pointed out that effective resource management could not only foster economic growth and sustainable development but also support the shift towards a green economy while addressing challenges like climate change, resource depletion, and shifting global demands. She stressed that Africa needs to find a balance to secure a resilient and prosperous future for its citizens. Highlighting the vulnerability of African countries like the DRC, Mozambique, Ghana, and Sierra Leone to climate change, Dr Denton mentioned that these nations face frequent natural disasters, rising sea levels, and pressures on ecosystems due to accelerating climate change. She also noted the dependency of many African nations on revenues from hydrocarbons and minerals, which are threatened by the impacts of climate change. Madam Shirley Ayorkor Botchway, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, echoed these sentiments by stating that natural resources form the cornerstone of many African economies, influencing trade, development, and foreign direct investment significantly. However, climate change poses an increasing threat to these resources, endangering both economic and environmental security and, in some cases, exacerbating regional conflicts. Madam Botchway also highlighted the role of effective natural resource management strategies in driving economic growth, enhancing livelihoods, and building resilient socio-ecosystems. She emphasized the importance of raising awareness about climate security, shared vulnerabilities, and reducing climate-induced threats on national and regional levels. Furthermore, she discussed the potential of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) combined with trade facilitation agreements to significantly boost intra-African trade, enhance GDP grow th, and promote the exchange of industrial and intermediate goods across regions, aligning with the AU Agenda 2063 which envisions a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient Africa. Madam Botchway concluded by reaffirming Ghana's commitment to promoting regional integration, trade, and development through its foreign policy.