Co-Creation Workshop on Embedding Locally Led Adaptation in Community Driven Development in Ghana
T
amale, Ghana, 28 October 2025 — A co-creation workshop on embedding Locally Led Adaptation (LLA) in Community Driven Development (CDD) was launched today in Tamale, Ghana, to strengthen the integration of LLA methodologies into the community-driven planning and investment processes under the World Bank’s Gulf of Guinea Northern Regions Social Cohesion (SOCO) Project.
The three-day workshop (28–30 October 2025) is attended by 30 representatives of national and local government, SOCO project implementation units, civil society organizations, and communities from Ghana’s Northern Region. It is organized by the Global Center on Adaptation (GCA), the Government of Ghana, and the World Bank, with technical support from the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED).
Sumaila Ewontomah Abudu, Chief Director of the Northern Regional Coordinating Council, flagged climate impacts in the Northern Region, including land degradation, drought, and heat and water stress, saying adaptation is possible, through local leadership and knowledge.
The SOCO Project, supported by the World Bank and implemented by the Government of Ghana, aims to strengthen community resilience, social cohesion, and climate adaptation the Northern Region. The project is anchored in a CDD approach, which aims to promote participatory decision-making, strengthen local governance, and ensure that investments respond directly to the needs and aspirations of communities. Communities and local governments are supported to identify, plan, and implement their own priority investments.
Anju Sharma, GCA’s Global Lead on LLA, said bringing together experts on community driven development in Ghana and experts on LLA will facilitate the process of embedding LLA into Ghana’s existing systems for decentralization.
Integrating LLA methodologies into SOCO’s CDD approach represents a critical step toward embedding climate resilience into local development planning in Ghana. “At the end of this workshop, we expect that we will have the information we need to incorporate LLA into Ghana’s four-year Medium-Term Development Plans, as the next cycle of planning for 2026-2029 will begin soon—because if it is in the Plan, there will be a budget” said Porekuu Peter Francis Xavier, Principal Planning Analyst from the National Development Planning Commission. He also expressed the hope that participants will share their learning with peers in other District Assemblies.
Participants completed an online Masterclass on Locally Led Adaptation before attending the workshop. Available on the GCA’s Global Hub on Locally Led Adaptation, the Masterclass is a structured learning experience to translate the eight LLA Principles into practical tools and approaches for real-world use. It is developed by GCA in partnership with IIED.
About the Workshop
Through group work and facilitated discussions, participants will co-develop a shared vision and practical pathways for embedding LLA into the planning and investment cycles of SOCO, but also Ghana’s local development process, identifying opportunities, challenges, and institutional entry points. The workshop will showcase tools and methodologies—such as climate risk assessments and participatory Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL)—to support local governments and communities to take the lead in climate adaptation planning and implementation.
