The NOAA Climate Program Office Adaptation Sciences Program and the NOAA Blue Carbon Inventory (BCI) Project supported two Ghanaian colleagues to attend the International Blue Carbon Scientific Working Group Meeting in Cape Town, South Africa from September 2nd to 5th, 2024. Divine Worlanyo Hotor is from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) Water Research Institute (WRI). Isaac Kwabena Danso is from the Ghana Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The International Blue Carbon Scientific Working Group Meeting was coordinated by Conservation International (CI), the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO). The event brought together a range of stakeholders, including scientists, policymakers, and local organizers from Nelson Mandela University (NMU) and Conservation South Africa (CSA). The Blue Carbon Initiative meeting provided valuable insights into the current science, policy, and practical implementation of blue carbon strategies worldwide.
At the meeting, participants presented on outcomes from Ghana’s collaborative technical support and capacity building work with the NOAA BCI Project, which was conducted during a two-week NOAA BCI Project funded workshop in October and November 2023. The training was focused on monitoring, mapping, and managing mangroves, saltmarshes, and other coastal carbon ecosystems in Ghana. Outcomes from the workshop have significantly improved knowledge and skills among stakeholders in Ghana, empowered local experts with techniques for assessing mangrove health, restoration practices, and monitoring efforts, and led to co-designed blue carbon projects that promote inclusivity and sustainability.
The NOAA BCI Project supports partner countries’ efforts to include coastal wetlands in their greenhouse gas accounting and enhance the management of these critical ecosystems. It is an important NOAA contribution to the President’s Emergency Plan for Adaptation and Resilience.
Learn more about the NOAA BCI Project »
For more information, contact Amanda Catron and Lisa Vaughan.
