Prioritizing climate adaptation at the local level in Ghana

Kirk B Enu; Albert Ahenkan; Emmanuel Ackom; Kirk B Enu; Albert Ahenkan; Emmanuel Ackom

doi:10.3934/geosci.2023033

AIMS Geosciences

2023, Volume 9, Issue 3: 609-631. doi: 10.3934/geosci.2023033

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Research article

Prioritizing climate adaptation at the local level in Ghana

1.
Center for Climate Change and Sustainability Studies, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, P.O Box 222, Accra, Ghana
2.
Energy Resources, Development and Environment (ERDE) Lab, Forest Resources Management Department, Faculty of Forestry, University of British Columbia, VT61Z4, Vancouver, Canada

Received: 02 February 2023 Revised: 12 July 2023 Accepted: 25 August 2023 Published: 13 September 2023

The increasing intensity and frequency of climate impacts exacerbate pressures on front-line local communities. This calls for location-specific adaptation strategies. Alignment of strategies with respective National Climate Change Strategy is key for the overall sustainability of initiatives and local communities. The work presented in this paper examines the adoption and prioritization of climate adaptation policies at the local level based on a case study of the Adansi North District (AND) in Ghana. An assessment of the extent to which climate adaptation policies are captured and budgeted for was done via a review of the district’s medium-term development and key political actors were interviewed to assess the level of priority they place on climate adaptation. Findings from the study reveal that 41% of the locally adopted policies directly align with stipulated national level policies. We attribute the adoption of climate policies in AND to local political actors having higher education which has afforded them good understanding of the climate change phenomenon, being experienced professionals and having to work within institutional rubrics that make climate policy formulation a requirement. However, little priority is given to these policies for implementation, mainly through the non-allocation of funds. We account for this with the weak environmental advocacy in the district and exchange between actors on adaptation. Furthermore, partisan actors who already wield veto powers and can promote policies that may not necessarily support adaptation measures, often do so, since their interest is to become popular among electorates who also prefer infrastructure over environmental policies. We conclude that although climate adaptation policies are fairly adopted and budgeted for in AND, they have not received commensurate priority for implementation. Recommendations are proposed for addressing this.
- climate change,
- planning,
- local governance,
- climate impacts,
- institutions,
- bottom-up,
- climate policy,
- political actors
Citation: Kirk B Enu, Albert Ahenkan, Emmanuel Ackom. Prioritizing climate adaptation at the local level in Ghana[J]. AIMS Geosciences, 2023, 9(3): 609-631. doi: 10.3934/geosci.2023033

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Abstract

The increasing intensity and frequency of climate impacts exacerbate pressures on front-line local communities. This calls for location-specific adaptation strategies. Alignment of strategies with respective National Climate Change Strategy is key for the overall sustainability of initiatives and local communities. The work presented in this paper examines the adoption and prioritization of climate adaptation policies at the local level based on a case study of the Adansi North District (AND) in Ghana. An assessment of the extent to which climate adaptation policies are captured and budgeted for was done via a review of the district’s medium-term development and key political actors were interviewed to assess the level of priority they place on climate adaptation. Findings from the study reveal that 41% of the locally adopted policies directly align with stipulated national level policies. We attribute the adoption of climate policies in AND to local political actors having higher education which has afforded them good understanding of the climate change phenomenon, being experienced professionals and having to work within institutional rubrics that make climate policy formulation a requirement. However, little priority is given to these policies for implementation, mainly through the non-allocation of funds. We account for this with the weak environmental advocacy in the district and exchange between actors on adaptation. Furthermore, partisan actors who already wield veto powers and can promote policies that may not necessarily support adaptation measures, often do so, since their interest is to become popular among electorates who also prefer infrastructure over environmental policies. We conclude that although climate adaptation policies are fairly adopted and budgeted for in AND, they have not received commensurate priority for implementation. Recommendations are proposed for addressing this.

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