Foto4Change, in collaboration with the Northern Regional Programme Office of ActionAid Ghana, has undertaken a photo exhibition campaign at Kpene, in the Sagnarigu Municipality of the Northern Region to sensitise residents on climate change.
The initiative aims to strengthen the community’s resilience to climate change and water conservation and promote the area’s overall socioeconomic development.
The exhibition featured photographs depicting real-life challenges such as mothers walking miles in search of water, children missing school hours due to unavailability of portable drinking water, and farmers losing crops to droughts.
It formed part of Foto4Change’s ongoing efforts to use visual storytelling to raise awareness and build climate resilience within vulnerable communities.
The event, which was also supported by the Northern Regional Chapter of Activista Ghana and the Young Urban Women, was used to commemorate this year’s World Water Day celebration, which highlights the urgency of water scarcity and climate change resilience.
Mr Geoffrey Buta, Team Lead of Foto4Change, who spoke to the media during the event, emphasized that climate change was persistent.
He mentioned the importance of practical approaches to addressing climate change related issues, including visual storytelling, to help communities fully understand the impact and realities of climate change.
He said, “One of the most effective ways to mitigate climate change, especially in vulnerable communities, is to intensify advocacy and encourage residents to take personal responsibility by planting trees and protecting their environment to sustain livelihoods”.
Mr Buta called for the active involvement of all key stakeholders in promoting sustainable environmental management and water conservation to support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6, which aims to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all by 2030.
He emphasised that, “The impact of climate change and water scarcity is more severe on the vulnerable communities and so it is important to bring the message on resilience to the people who need it most to enable them take the right actions to mitigate its impact”.
Mr Hamza Sulemana, Treasurer of the Northern Regional Chapter of Activista Ghana, a youth wing of ActionAid Ghana, highlighted the importance of photography in climate change advocacy, adding that it enforces empathy and emotional connection as well as increases awareness creation and facilitates actions from stakeholders.
He challenged the youth, women, and girls among other vulnerable groups to be in the forefront of advocacy on the issues of climate change and said they were worse affected in the communities.
Naa Mohammed Alhassan Seidu, Chief of Sagnarigu Kpene, acknowledged the visible impacts of climate change in the community and stressed the need for a multifaceted approach involving all stakeholders to minimize its ongoing adverse effects.
He commended Foto4Change and ActionAid Ghana for their engagement, emphasizing on how climate change was adversely disrupting agriculture and other socioeconomic activities.
