Advancing Article 6 in Practice: How Ghana’s Rice Sector Is Demonstrating Article 6 in Practice

By Kwabena Twumasi - Programme Analyst

April 30, 2026

UNDP Ghana_AWD.jpg — Field officers taking measurement on the AWD site

Photos @Kwabena Twumasi / UNDP Ghana

Methane is responsible for nearly 30 percent of global warming, making it one of the most urgent climate challenges of our time. While global attention has traditionally focused on carbon dioxide, reducing methane emissions offers one of the fastest ways to slow warming in the near term. Yet, the question remains: can climate solutions also deliver tangible benefits for people on the ground?

Ghana is beginning to answer that question.

Under the 2015 Paris Agreement’s Article 6, countries can cooperate to reduce emissions while unlocking climate finance. But unlike earlier carbon market mechanisms, such as the Clean Development Mechanism, which saw limited participation and benefits in Africa, Article 6 offers new opportunity to design high-integrity, development-centered climate action.

At the forefront of this effort in Ghana, is the Promotion of Climate Smart Agriculture Practices for Sustainable Rice Cultivation Project, implemented by the Government of Ghana with support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The project promotes the Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) technique, a climate-smart irrigation practice that reduces methane emissions from rice cultivation while improving water efficiency.

In April, Ghana marked a major milestone with the first independent verification exercise under this project. Conducted across multiple regions, the verification assessed whether emission reductions reported under the project are real, measurable, and aligned with international standards under Article 6.2.

But beyond the technical checks, something more powerful emerged.

Across all sites visited, from smallholder farmers under public irrigation schemes, to commercial farms, farmers consistently shared a simple but compelling message: “AWD is working for them”.

Farmers reported an average yield increase of approximately 30 percent after adopting the AWD technique. This is not a marginal gain. For many, it translates directly into improved incomes, enhanced food security, and greater resilience in the face of climate variability.

At the same time, AWD significantly reduces water use, an increasingly critical benefit in water-stressed environments. By allowing fields to dry intermittently rather than remain continuously flooded, farmers are able to conserve water while maintaining, and even improving, productivity.

Crucially, this same practice also leads to substantial reductions in methane emissions, demonstrating that climate mitigation and agricultural productivity do not have to be in conflict. Instead, they can reinforce each other.

This is where Ghana’s approach under Article 6 stands out.

With strong leadership from the Government, particularly the Ministry of Environment, Science, and Technology (MEST) and the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) and with technical support from UNDP, the project is demonstrating how carbon markets can go beyond financial incentives. It is showing that climate finance can be structured to deliver real development outcomes, directly benefiting farmers while contributing to global mitigation efforts.

However, the success of this approach depends on getting the fundamentals right.

Based on early implementation experience from the project, including insights from the verification exercise and field engagement with farmers and institutions, several priorities are emerging that are critical for scaling and replication.

Photo: group of people wearing hats in a green crop field under a blue sky.

Four people stand in a flooded rice paddy beside a narrow water channel, discussing crops.

Strengthening Monitoring, Reporting and Verification Systems

Strengthening Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) systems goes beyond improving data collection; it requires building an end-to-end system that ensures data integrity from the farm level to final reporting. In practice, this means ensuring that farmers are supported to consistently apply tools such as piezometers to monitor water levels, while also standardizing how data is recorded through logbooks or digital systems. It also requires strengthening validation processes at scheme and national levels so that data is checked, cleaned, and verified before it is submitted for independent assessment.

What is emerging from the Ghana experience is that effective MRV systems must be simple enough to be applied consistently at the field level, while still meeting international standards. This balance between practicality and rigor is critical for any country seeking to implement similar mechanisms under Article 6.

Embedding Farmer Benefits at the Centre of Design

Ensuring that farmers benefit is not automatic; it must be intentionally built into the design of the project. In this case, the success of AWD has been driven not only by its climate benefits, but by the clear and immediate gains farmers are experiencing, particularly increased yields and reduced water use. These benefits have helped sustain farmer interest even before carbon payments are realised.

For replication, this highlights the importance of designing interventions where livelihood benefits are visible early and consistently. This includes aligning climate practices with productivity gains, ensuring that benefit-sharing mechanisms are transparent, and maintaining continuous engagement with farmers to understand their needs and constraints. Without this, long-term adoption is unlikely to be sustained.

Strengthening Institutional Capacity and Coordination

Scaling AWD requires coordinated action across multiple levels of institutions. At the local level, Water User Associations and irrigation scheme managers play a critical role in supporting farmers, facilitating data collection, and ensuring adherence to AWD practices. At the national level, institutions such as the Environmental Protection Authority and relevant ministries are responsible for ensuring alignment with carbon market requirements and maintaining oversight of the system.

The Ghana experience shows that while national frameworks are essential, the effectiveness of implementation often depends on the strength of local institutions. Building capacity at this level, while ensuring strong coordination with national systems, is key to achieving both scale and consistency.

This verification exercise under the rice project is more than a technical milestone. It demonstrates, in practical terms, how Article 6 can be implemented in a way that delivers both credible emission reductions and tangible development benefits.

As countries around the world explore carbon markets as part of their climate strategies, Ghana’s experience offers a clear lesson:

Climate action works best when it works for people.

Now is the time to scale what works.

"Across all sites visited — from smallholder farmers under public irrigation schemes to commercial farms — farmers consistently shared a simple but compelling message: AWD is working for them. Farmers reported an average yield increase of approximately 30 percent after adopting the AWD technique. For many, this translates directly into improved incomes, enhanced food security, and greater resilience in the face of climate variability."