GMet Engages Ghana Red Cross on Ghana Climate Atlas to Strengthen Disaster Preparedness
As part of ongoing stakeholder engagements ahead of the rollout of the Ghana Climate Atlas, the Ghana Meteorological Agency (GMet), together with partners from the Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) and the Embassy of Denmark in Ghana, held a working session with the Ghana Red Cross Society on Tuesday, 6th January, 2026 to present the Climate Atlas and gather input from the humanitarian sector.
The engagement brought together members of the Climate Atlas technical and communications teams and the leadership of the Ghana Red Cross Society, led by its Secretary General, Mr. Eric Gregory Kwatia, along with senior programme, disaster management, health and climate focal persons.
Speaking during the session, Ms. Maureen Abla Ahiataku, Principal Meteorologist/External Relations Officer and Climate Atlas Project Lead, highlighted the uniqueness of the Ghana Climate Atlas, stressing that the tool goes beyond global projections by grounding climate information in Ghana’s own observed data.
“What makes the Ghana Climate Atlas unique is the integration of our local observed data with global climate models. This allows us to downscale projections and correct biases so that the information reflects Ghana’s microclimates and real community-level impacts, rather than broad regional assumptions, “she said.
She explained that while many international products exist, they often lack the local context required for effective planning and response. The Atlas, she noted, will bridge that gap by translating long-term climate projections into information that can inform disaster preparedness, humanitarian action, policy development and community-level interventions.
The presentation demonstrated how the Atlas provides insights across different emissions scenarios and time horizons, helping users anticipate future risks such as flooding, heat and rainfall variability. These projections, participants were told, can support early planning decisions rather than reactive responses after disasters occur.
Welcoming the GMet delegation, Mr. Kwatia described the collaboration as timely and critical, noting that climate change continues to intensify humanitarian risks across the country. He emphasized that effective disaster risk reduction depends on access to reliable, timely and well-communicated climate data.
He said the Red Cross, with its nationwide volunteer network and presence at community level, plays a key role in translating technical information into practical action, particularly in disaster preparedness, early warning dissemination and emergency response.
Discussions during the meeting focused on how the Ghana Climate Atlas can support anticipatory action, food security planning, health interventions and climate-related migration risks. Participants underscored the importance of aligning climate data with humanitarian decision-making frameworks and ensuring that information is communicated in ways that are easily understood by communities.
The engagement concluded with mutual agreement on the importance of formalizing collaboration through strengthened partnerships and data-sharing arrangements, as well as continued engagement as the Atlas development progresses.
The Ghana Climate Atlas is being developed under the Ghana-Denmark Strategic Sector Cooperation Programme as an interactive, online climate information platform. By combining historical observations, future projections and spatial analysis tools tailored to Ghana’s context, the Atlas is intended to support decision-making across sectors including disaster risk reduction, agriculture, water resources, energy, health and infrastructure.
GMet and its partners are currently validating the Atlas with key stakeholders to ensure that it is practical, relevant and responsive to the needs of institutions working directly with communities before its official launch.
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