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Impacts of climate hazards on coastal livelihoods in Ghana: the case of Ningo-Prampram in the Greater Accra region

Environment, Development and Sustainability volume 24, pages 1445–1474 (2022)Cite this article

Abstract

Global climate has undergone unprecedented changes due to several natural- and human-induced factors. The present study sought to assess the impacts of climate hazards on coastal livelihoods, specifically in Ningo-Prampram district in the Greater Accra region, Ghana. The research uses participatory rural appraisal (PRA) and the analytic hierarchical process (AHP) tools to ascertain the major climatic and non-climatic events, along with their impacts. Findings revealed coastal inundation and submersion were the major stressors that triggered dysfunctions of residents’ livelihoods. Impacts from these stressors constituted decline in household income, collapse of buildings along the beach, and saltwater intrusion rendering farmlands unproductive causing reduced crop yield. Cabbage and chilli farms that are no longer arable have been sold to estate developers. Sea level rise has resulted in the submersion of coastal lands (1 km–2 km land residual inland). Residents undertake temporal evacuations with financial assistance from local financial institutions. Minor interventions like the growing of mangroves and coconut trees have been initiated to somewhat serve as defence mechanisms. However, residents have continuously harvested these plants along the coast with no plans for afforestation, re-afforestation and other sea defence mechanisms. This leaves the area highly vulnerable, hence, the present study attempted to bridge this paucity of knowledge to inform the decision of relevant stakeholders in prioritizing climate-related issues that affect livelihoods in the area.

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Source: Ghana Meteorological Agency, 2020

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Source: Ghana Meteorological Agency, 2020

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Acknowledgements

This study was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (41271410 and 41971340). The authors would like to express their gratitude to Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology (NUIST) as well as Nha Trang University, Vietnam for having set-up a very good learning and research environment. Again, the authors are grateful to Jahn Peter Johnsen (University of Tromsø, Centre for Rural Research, Trondheim, Norway) for his guidance and advice. Again, our sincere appreciation goes to the editor and blind reviewers whose comments helped in improving this manuscript.

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Affiliations

  1. Department of Environment and Biotechnology, Nha Trang University, Nha Trang, Vietnam

    George Darko

  2. School of Geographical Sciences, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, Jiangsu, China

    Shuoben Bi & Solomon Obiri Yeboah Amankwah

  3. Research Institute for History of Science and Technology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, Jiangsu, China

    Isaac Sarfo & Collins Oduro

  4. Institute of Aquaculture and Protection of Waters, Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic

    Folorunso Ewumi Azeez

  5. Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana, Legon, Ghana

    Emmanuel Yeboah

  6. School of Computer and Software, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, Jiangsu, China

    Emmanuel Adu Gyamfi Kedjanyi

  7. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, Jiangsu, China

    Bright Archer

  8. School of Business Management, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, Jiangsu, China

    Andrews Awuah

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  1. George Darko
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Darko, G., Bi, S., Sarfo, I. et al. Impacts of climate hazards on coastal livelihoods in Ghana: the case of Ningo-Prampram in the Greater Accra region. Environ Dev Sustain 24, 1445–1474 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-021-01492-z

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Keywords

  • Coastal inundation
  • Submersion
  • Livelihoods
  • Impacts
  • AHP
  • Participatory rural appraisal (PRA)