Accra: Coastal communities in Ghana have called for climate finance to be transparent and directly benefit local populations, particularly fishing families affected by erosion. This call was made during a capacity-building workshop focused on climate investments and rights-based approaches, hosted by the AbibiNsroma Foundation in collaboration with coastal communities and national partners.

According to Ghana News Agency, the workshop aimed to strengthen the capacity of frontline communities to influence climate finance and investment processes. The workshop's participants included coastal community leaders, fisherfolk representatives, youth and climate advocates, and officials from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Ministry of Environment, and civil society organizations.

The programme's goals included equipping community members with the knowledge to respond to sea level rise and ecological degradation and empowering them to assert their rights in the face of oil, gas, and coastal development. During the workshop, a key message delivered in a 'Declaration from the Shoreline' emphasised that climate finance for Ghana must prioritize community-led shoreline protection and the recovery of livelihoods, especially for fishing families in erosion-affected districts.

The declaration also stated that all climate and energy projects along Ghana's coast must respect community rights, ensuring that fisherfolk, women, and youth are meaningfully consulted before decisions are made. The declaration called for stronger accountability from oil and gas operators whose activities have led to the pollution of coastal waters and disruption of marine ecosystems, which in turn undermines food security and cultural heritage.

The communities also affirmed the importance of recognizing customary land systems in coastal regions and called for their alignment with national and international climate governance frameworks to protect vulnerable communities from displacement. The communities called for climate finance flows to be transparent, equitable, and directed toward resilience projects that benefit local communities rather than fueling debt or elite capture.