Abstract:
Ex situ adaptation in the form of relocation has become inevitable in some low-lying coastal
zones where other adaptation strategies become impractical or uneconomical. Although relocation
of coastal low-lying communities is anticipated globally, little is still known about the factors that
influence household-level adoption. This study draws on an extended version of Protection Motivation Theory (PMT) to assess the factors influencing the relocation intention of three highly vulnerable
coastal rural communities in Ghana. A total of 359 household heads were randomly selected for a
questionnaire survey. The study employed binary logistic regression to identify key factors that influence residents’ readiness to relocate. The results indicated that cognitive and compositional factors
were more important than contextual factors in explaining the intention to relocate among coastal
rural communities in Ghana. However, contextual factors mediated or attenuated the influence of
cognitive and compositional factors on relocation intention. Based on the findings, this study advocates for intensive education on the effects of future sea-level rise impacts on communities as well as
structural and non-structural measures to improve the socio-economic capacity of rural communities.
