Climate change impacts are intensifying across the African continent, including West Africa, exacerbating the climate related risks and increasing the need for adaptation and resilience strategies in the region. The AGNES acknowledges that climate adaptation and resilience strategies include developing digital decision support tools for real time information on climate risks and impacts for enhanced decision-making processes. Between 9th and 11th July 2025, AGNES in collaboration with the West African Science Service Centre on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), convened sensitization and training meeting, in Accra Ghana, for private sectors, policymakers, and civil society organizations (CSOs). The workshop aimed to increase the usability and functionality among the target groups on the Adaptation Atlas.
What the adaptation atlas offers
The Africa Agriculture Adaptation Atlas tool is an interactive, web-based digital decision-support tool designed to inform climate adaptation planning and investment in the agricultural sector. It features dynamic mapping and visualization, integrating scientific data with adaptation interventions. The tool organizes information into thematic areas such as climate risks, impacts, vulnerabilities, and response strategies, in eight notebooks allowing users to filter and explore data accordingly. By translating complex climate science into actionable insights, the Adaptation Atlas bridges the gap between research and practice, providing policymakers, researchers, and investors insights for advancing climate-resilient agricultural development in Africa.
Hands-on training and practical dialogue
The workshop was structured around interactive roundtables where participants reviewed the notebooks in small groups. Each day focused on a different set of themes. On the first day, participants worked through four notebooks: evaluating climate risks, understanding heat stress, identifying climate solutions, and exploring projected impacts. They provided feedback on functionality, ease of use, and local applicability.
The second day featured another round of notebook sessions, including those on gender exposure, livestock investment planning, and economic rationale for adaptation. These were followed by a panel discussion with Members of Parliament from Nigeria and The Gambia, who reflected on the role of climate data in enhancing budget scrutiny, legislative oversight, and law-making.
The final day included knowledge exchange sessions on tools like the NDC Capacity Scorecard and an introduction to Solar Radiation Modification, further expanding the scope of climate intelligence offered to attendees.
How anglophone West Africa is using the atlas
Participants saw wide-ranging potential in the tool. It was particularly praised for its ability to integrate scientific data into planning processes that support agriculture, food systems, and climate finance. From informing planting calendars to shaping national climate strategies, the notebooks offer insight at multiple levels of decision-making.
Many identified practical applications for the Atlas in early warning systems, investment prioritization, and climate proposal development. The economic analysis features were appreciated for their ability to help justify adaptation budgets. There was also strong interest in using the Atlas to target vulnerable populations and align responses with gender-sensitive data.
Key messages and way forward
The Accra workshop demonstrated the growing demand for climate decision tools that are usable, scalable, and regionally grounded. Participants called for further improvements in accessibility, including the development of dedicated landing pages for different user groups, policymakers, researchers, and investors. They also recommended wider training-of-trainers initiatives and support for parliamentary capacity-building, especially around data-informed oversight and budget tracking.
These outcomes reflect broader momentum. Similar workshops have already been conducted in Central, Eastern, and Francophone West Africa, each engagement builds a stronger base for regional cooperation on climate adaptation.
Conclusion
The Africa Agriculture Adaptation Atlas training in Accra was a timely intervention for West Africa’s Anglophone countries. It introduced a tool that brings together science, economics, and inclusivity to strengthen adaptation across the region. AGNES and its partners continue to champion locally owned solutions by offering platforms like the Atlas tools that turn data into decisions and vision into action.