On November 15 and 16, 2017 Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions (ASSAR) West Africa team members from Mali and Ghana participated in a workshop at the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies at the University of Ghana in Accra aimed at maximizing opportunities for ASSAR’s research to contribute to adaptation responses (policy and practice) at the district and national levels.

Goals of the workshop were:

• Increase understanding of influencing tools and approaches;
• Co-develop messages and identify key audiences with partners and key stakeholders;
• Co-identify actions for moving forward on RiU activities in Ghana and Mali.

Twenty-three participants attended the workshop, including ASSAR colleagues from OXFAM GB, START and ICRISAT Mali, and senior researchers, graduate students, District Assembly members and planners from the Upper West region of Ghana, the Department of Agriculture in Upper West, representatives of the Climate Change Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) program, OXFAM Mali, Ghana, and Ethiopia.

Activities and topics explored in-depth included a secondary schools competition around sustainability in Upper West region, smart water management to strengthen irrigation for dry season farming, increasing women’s adaption options, market systems and land access conflicts and adaptation in Mali.  These discussions helped inform a national-level stakeholder event that was held following this workshop on November 18. Read more about that event here.