Vulnerabilities and capacities : dealing with coastal flooding in Ghana´s Volta Region

  • Coastal flooding events pose an existential threat to populations around the world, particularly in the Global South. As a result of climate change and other, direct forms of anthropogenic interference, the magnitude and frequency of such floodings is predicted to continuously increase in the near future. Therefore, it is important to understand the vulnerability of affected people to implement appropriate measures. This research presents a case study on coastal flooding and its impact on livelihoods in the Volta Region of Ghana. The paper utilizes a vulnerability framework that focuses on exposure, susceptibility, as well as the capacities to anticipate, cope with, and recover from the effects of natural hazards. Based on a qualitative approach, the study focusses on those households who were directly affected of a severe tidal flood in November 2021, leading to a total destruction of their property. The research was conducted in March, July and August 2022. It revealed that the studied group had low capacity to anticipate and had noCoastal flooding events pose an existential threat to populations around the world, particularly in the Global South. As a result of climate change and other, direct forms of anthropogenic interference, the magnitude and frequency of such floodings is predicted to continuously increase in the near future. Therefore, it is important to understand the vulnerability of affected people to implement appropriate measures. This research presents a case study on coastal flooding and its impact on livelihoods in the Volta Region of Ghana. The paper utilizes a vulnerability framework that focuses on exposure, susceptibility, as well as the capacities to anticipate, cope with, and recover from the effects of natural hazards. Based on a qualitative approach, the study focusses on those households who were directly affected of a severe tidal flood in November 2021, leading to a total destruction of their property. The research was conducted in March, July and August 2022. It revealed that the studied group had low capacity to anticipate and had no contingency plans in case of relocation. Further, we discovered different strategies that people applied to deal with the situation eight months after the flood event. Most households applied (short term) coping strategies to reestablish their former marine-based livelihood systems. Adaption in terms of long-term adjustment of their livelihoods played only a minor role and could be found in form of out-migration in a limited number of households.show moreshow less

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Metadaten
Author:Tobias Klöpf, Stefanie Wehner
URN:urn:nbn:de:bvb:739-opus4-14597
DOI:https://doi.org/10.15475/mitrawa.upa2
Series (Serial Number):Migration, translocality and development in times of climate change. Mitra|WA Working Paper Series (2)
Place of publication:Passau
Document Type:Preprint
Language:English
Year of Completion:2024
Date of Publication (online):2024/07/15
Date of first Publication:2024/07/15
Publishing Institution:Universität Passau
Release Date:2024/08/22
Tag:Climate change adaption; Crisis migration; Displacement; Fishing community; Relocation
Issue:2
Page Number:14 Seiten
Institutes:Sozial- und Bildungswissenschaftliche Fakultät
Dewey Decimal Classification:3 Sozialwissenschaften / 30 Sozialwissenschaften, Soziologie / 300 Sozialwissenschaften
open_access (DINI-Set):open_access
Licence (German):License LogoCreative Commons - CC BY - Namensnennung 4.0 International