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.

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Loss and damage in Ghana’s coastal zone

The coastal zone of Ghana, stretching 550 kilometers along the Gulf of Guinea, supports diverse ecosystems and livelihoods, from busy cities to fishing communities. Despite its contribution to Ghana's economy, climate change has been a significant threat, including sea level rise and coastal erosion. These challenges affect both biodiversity and the sustainability of local economies.

Mary Otoo, a fishmonger from Jamestown in the Greater Accra region, recounts how this has affected her livelihood and community: “I have been a fishmonger since I was young. This business was very lucrative in the past but due to climate change, the fishermen do not get enough fish from the sea anymore. Any time the sea level rises, fishermen cannot go out, and the water also floods the beach areas where we smoke our fish.”

Climate change affects not only the fishermen but also their entire communities, often in gender-specific ways. Ms. Otoo explains that women like her, who smoke or sell, feel the impacts as well: “Recently, there was a huge tidal wave that swept away our furnaces along with all the fishes we had smoked causing great financial loss to us.”

Naa Kailey Opasika, a resident of nearby Chorkor Lanteman in the Greater Accra region, has a similar tale of the challenges faced by her community. “I was born in Chorkor and have lived in this community all my life. We had a beautiful sandy beach which served as a recreational ground for children and visitors across Accra. During festive season, lots of tourists came here to relax and enjoy themselves. The recent tidal waves have cost my community a lot: we have lost our houses and businesses along the shores. I lost my pub which was my main source of income, my neighbor also lost his church building.”

Coastal communities such as Kporkporgbor, Fuveme, Dzita, Havedzi, and Xorvi in the Keta Municipality of the Volta Region of Ghana, for example, are at risk of extinction by the encroaching ocean, leaving residents homeless and affecting their mental health.

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Climate-related human mobility in Ghana

As the impacts of climate change cause people to lose their livelihoods and properties, moving away becomes a last resort for many. People from affected communities are forced to migrate in search of safer living conditions and sustainable livelihoods in other cities and villages within the country. This is evident in various forms, namely rural-rural migration, rural-urban migration, and internal displacement.

For instance, the savannah ecological zone, which is susceptible to prolonged dry spells and erratic rainfall, has seen a steady outflow of residents migrating to Accra and Kumasi in such for a better livelihood. This zone is the nation’s food basket and has a lot of arable farmlands that are often left behind by abled youth because they can no longer support their livelihood. “I’m a wife, a mother, and a farmer working with my husband in my hometown, where we grow cereals,” says Azuma, a migrant from Kunduku in the Upper East region of Ghana. “Farming does not look attractive anymore due to high temperatures and unpredictable rainfall patterns causing drought and flooding and destroying our crops, leading to low yields and loss of investment. I migrated to Accra, doing menial jobs to support the family back home.”

Mohammed Latif, a migrant from Bolga, which is in the Upper East region as well, outlines his own journey: “I recently completed my artisanal training as an auto mechanic in my hometown, but I don’t have enough to buy the needed equipment to start my own shop. I resorted to farming but ran into losses due to low yields caused by unpredictable rainfall patterns. I decided to migrate to Accra where I’m currently working as a security guard. I hope that I’ll be able to save money from this new job to buy the needed tools to start my business back home.”

In the coastal areas, the stories are similar: people have started to move away from vulnerable coastal areas and leave their traditional way of life behind. “Most of the families who depend on the sea for their livelihoods have migrated into the hinterlands to pursue other businesses,” says Ms. Otoo from Jamestown. “I am still here because I am old and have nowhere else to go.” In Chorkor, it is the same, says Ms. Opasika: “Most of my neighbors who lost their properties have migrated to other places in search of shelter and other forms of livelihood.”

Unfortunately, migrating to cities does not a always conform with prior expectations and the dreams of an improved quality of life. Many migrants end up doing menial jobs that cannot afford the quality lifestyle they dreamt of; others land in informal settlements with limited access to basic services, thus continuing their cycle of vulnerability. Although, some of the migrants enjoy relief, the socio-economic impacts are far beyond the benefits. The communities left behind lose an active working group, which can cripple their local economies and interfere with their social cohesion. At the same time, their new receiving settlement areas will bear the pressure of accommodating an influx of migrants, which will stain basic amenities and public services.

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Generating evidence to facilitate action

Understanding and effectively addressing climate-related human mobility demands robust evidence generation to inform policy and action. To achieve this, SLYCAN Trust and the Environmental Protection Agency of Ghana have collaborated to generate evidence through a joint case study.

The case study employs a combination of desktop research, stakeholder engagement through workshops, community consultations, interviews, photography, and policy analysis. Selected communities along the coastline in the Greater Accra region and migrants working as head porters who have come to Accra from the Savannah zone participated in the study. This was to ensure that the opinions of people directly affected by the impact of climate change are heard and included in policy formulation. Findings from the research reveal that the recurrent dry spell and erratic rainfall in the northern sector have affected the livelihood of local people, with many migrating to nearby towns or cities. Also, the loss of agricultural land, homes, and businesses of people living in the coastal areas in Ghana has not only impoverished them but also strained local economies that rely on farming as a primary source of income.

Although Ghana has made strides on policy responses in the area of climate change, policymakers need to develop targeted policy responses to address the convergence of climate change and its resulting human mobility. The studies have added on existing knowledge, building a thorough evidence foundation and emphasizing the urgent need for policy responses and action on this complex issue.

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‍More detailed information on this case study is available on our knowledge hub through a case study brief and a two-page primer. To further illustrate the case study, SLYCAN Trust in collaboration with its country partners also created a photography exhibition, which showcased on the sidelines of the UNFCCC climate negotiations in 2023 and is available online here.