Climate-Related Loss and Damage and Human Mobility in Ghana: From Evidence to Action
September 20, 2024
As the impacts of the climate crisis are intensifying, climate-vulnerable countries like Ghana are on the frontlines, where they face not only direct climate-induced loss and damage but also the resulting patterns of human mobility. The impact from these events does not only affect the livelihood of the affected communities but also slows down long-term development goals. In simple terms, climate-induced loss and damage refers to the negative impacts of climate change that go beyond mitigation and adaptation efforts. These impacts span from easily quantifiable losses, such as damages to infrastructure and reduced agricultural productivity, to non-economic losses including loss of cultural heritage, psychosocial impacts, and loss of ecosystem services. None of the six ecological zones in Ghana have escaped the impact of climate change, but among them, the coastal and savannah zones are the most affected. This article seeks to delve into how climate-induced loss and damage has aggravated existing challenges in Ghana and affected the patterns of human mobility, highlighting the work of the SLYCAN Trust and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in generating evidence and enhancing the understanding of current adaptive and coping strategies.
