The Deputy Director for Adaptation, Climate Resilience and Risk Management at the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA), Stella Okoh, has urged the government to incorporate the cost of building climate resilience into national governance structures.

Speaking on JoyNews Desk on Monday, 30 March, Ms Okoh explained that addressing climate change goes beyond routine development, as it requires additional investment to make infrastructure more durable.

According to her, this concept — known as the “additionality effect” — refers to the extra cost required to strengthen projects to withstand climate impacts such as floods and extreme heat.

Ms Okoh noted that while standard projects may be less expensive to execute, they are often vulnerable to damage if climate risks are not taken into account.

She warned that failure to build resilient infrastructure could result in repeated destruction, citing instances where buildings have been unable to withstand harsh weather conditions.

She added that the additional cost associated with resilience can also be leveraged to attract climate financing support.

To address the challenge, Ms Okoh said efforts have been made to build the capacity of district assemblies, planners, and budget officers to integrate climate-related costs into development planning.

“With support from partners, we have strengthened local institutions to ensure resilience is factored into planning and budgeting processes,” she said.

Ms Okoh stressed that collaboration remains essential, as limited resources continue to constrain efforts to scale up climate adaptation across the country.