Announcement · 8 May 2026
Ghana launches the National Monitoring Support Initiative
Conservation Alliance International, in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI) and the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre, officially launched the National Monitoring Support Initiative (NMSI) Project on 7 May 2026 at Tomreik Hotel, Accra.
The initiative, which runs from 2025 to 2030, is aimed at strengthening Ghana's biodiversity monitoring and reporting systems in line with the targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. Funding support is provided through the International Climate Initiative under the German Government's environmental support programme. The NMSI Project enhances national biodiversity data management systems and connects them to a global biodiversity data platform.
Delivering the keynote address, Madam Suweibatu Adam, Chief Director at MESTI, highlighted the importance of credible and accessible biodiversity data in supporting environmental protection and sustainable development. She noted that Ghana's forests, wetlands, savannahs, marine ecosystems and coastal landscapes continue to support livelihoods, economic growth and ecological balance, but remain under increasing pressure from climate change, land degradation, pollution and unsustainable activities.
Dr. Yaw Osei-Owusu, Executive Director of Conservation Alliance International, outlined that immediate priorities include conducting a national capacity assessment and developing a comprehensive biodiversity monitoring framework to guide implementation and future policy actions.
Technical presentations followed from the UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre (Ayesha Wijesekera), the Forestry Commission Ghana (Dr. Godfred Bempah), MESTI on behalf of the CBD focal point (Madam Emelyne), and the Ghana Statistical Service (Bernice Ofosu Baadu). The programme closed with a vote of thanks from Ama Akyema Sasu, bringing together representatives from government, development organisations, academia and civil society around a shared commitment to biodiversity monitoring.
Story by Deborah Acheampong β Journalist, Freelance Writer & Communications Expert.
Conservation Alliance International · 8 May 2026
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