Gender Perspectives of Climate Change Coping and Adaptive Strategies in Ghana 2012 By Patience T. M. Damptey and Dr. Ama K. Essel Financed by UN Women TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ………………………………………………………………………………………………………8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ……………………………………………………………………………………………………..9 1.0 BACKGROUND………………………………………………………………………………………………………11 1.1 INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11 1.2 RATIONALE…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………12 1.3 OBJECTIVES…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………13 2.0 GEOGRAPHIC AND SOCIOECONOMIC FRAMEWORK ……………………………………………..14 3.0 POLITICAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK ………………………………………………………16 4.0 LITERATURE REVIEW …………………………………………………………………………………………….19 4.1 Concept of Climate Change...........................................................................................19 4.2 Climate Change Impacts in Ghana.................................................................................19 4.3 Ghana’s Vulnerability to Climate Change…………………………………………………………………….19 4.4 Coping and Adapting……………………………………………………………………………………………………20 4.5 Concept of Gender………………………………………………………………………………………………………20 4.5.1 Gender and Sustainable Development…………………………………………………………………………21 4.5.2 Gender in the Ghanaian Context………………………………………………………………………………….21 4.5.3 Gender, Vulnerability and Adaptation to Climate Change……………………………………………21 4.6 Efforts at Placing Gender in National Development…………………………………………………….23 4.6.1 Water, Gender and Climate Change…………………………………………………………………………….23 4.6.2 Energy, Women and Climate Change…………………………………………………………………………..23 4.6.3 Fisheries, Women and Climate Change……………………………………………………………………….24 5.0 STUDY AREAS…………………………………………………………………………………………………………26 3 5.1 KWANYAKU…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………27 5.1.1 Climate……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….27 5.1.2 Economic Activity……………………………………………………………………………………………………….27 5.1.3 Existing Water Situation……………………………………………………………………………………………..28 5.1.4 Economy…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….28 5.1.5 Environmental Situation…………………………………………………………………………………………….28 5.2 KETA MUNICIPALITY…………………………………………………………………………………………………..29 5.2.1 Physical Characteristics………………………………………………………………………………………………29 5.2.2 Climate and Vegetation……………………………………………………………………………………………..31 5.2.3 Water Transport and Links…………………………………………………………………………………………31 5.2.4 Environmental Situation…………………………………………………………………………………………….31 5.2.5 Farming……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..33 5.2.6 Fishing……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….34 5.2.7 Wood Cutting…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….34 5.2.8 Coastal Sand Winning…………………………………………………………………………………………………34 5.2.9 Built Environment………………………………………………………………………………………………………34 6.0 METHODOLOGY……………………………………………………………………………………………………35 6.1 DATA COLLECTION……………………………………………………………………………………………………..35 6.2 LIMITATIONS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………37 6.3 DATA ANALYSIS………………………………………………………………………………………………………….37 7.0 MAIN FINDINGS Of THE STUDY……………………………………………………………………………..38 7.1 QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS……………………………………………………………………………………………38 7.1.1 Assessing Knowledge on Climate Change……………………………………………………………………41 7.1.2 Practices……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..44 7.2 TRADITIONAL COPING AND ADAPTIVE STRATEGIES……………………………………………………46 4 7.2.1 Coping during Drought……………………………………………………………………………………………….46 7.2.2 Access to Water………………………………………………………………………………………………………….46 7.2.3 Cultural Practices…………………………………………………………………………………………………………47 7.2.4 Access to Credit……………………………………………………………………………………………………………47 7.3 QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS……………………………………………………………………………………………….48 7.3.1 Causes and Impacts of Climate Change in Kwanyaku……………………………………………………49 7.3.2 Coping Strategies………………………………………………………………………………………………………….49 7.3.3 Traditional Knowledge………………………………………………………………………………………………….50 7.3.4 Cultural practices………………………………………………………………………………………………………….50 7.3.5 Access to Resources……………………………………………………………………………………………………..50 7.3.6 Conservation of Natural Resources………………………………………………………………………………50 7.3.7 Causes and Impacts of Climate Change in Keta…………………………………………………………….52 7.3.8 Coping Strategies………………………………………………………………………………………………………….52 7.3.9 Traditional Knowledge………………………………………………………………………………………………….53 7.3.10 Cultural Practices………………………………………………………………………………………………………….53 8.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS………………………………………………………………60 8.1 CONCLUSIONS………………………………………………………………………………………………………………60 8.1.1 Gaps in Knowledge and Practices………………………………………………………………………………….60 8.1.2 Gender Linkages……………………………………………………………………………………………………………61 8.1.3 Coping Strategies………………………………………………………………………………………………………….61 8.2 RECOMMENDATIONS……………………………………………………………………………………………………62 9.0 REFERENCES ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………63 10.0 APPENDICES…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….66 5 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Administrative Map of Ghana………………………………………………………………………….15 Figure 2: Map Showing Kwanyaku………………………………………………………………………………….26 Figure 3: Kwanyaku Community……………………………………………………………………………………..27 Figure4: Farm in Kwanyaku……………………………………………………………………………………………27 Figure 5: Map Showing Keta……………………………………………………………………………………………29 Figure 6: Keta Lagoon……………………………………………………………………………………………………..30 Figure 7: Keta Community……………………………………………………………………………………………….30 Figure 8: Keta Lagoon and the Sea…………………………………………………………………………………..30 Figure 9: Focus Group Discussions (Keta)…………………………………………………………………………36 Figure 10: Focus Group Discussions (Kwanyaku)………………………………………………………………..37 Figure11: Demographic Characteristics…………………………………………………………………………….38 Figure 12: Main Income Generating Activities…………………………………………………………………….40 Figure 13: Housing: Wealth Estimation Levels…………………………………………………………………….41 Figure 14: Signs and Impacts of Climate Change…………………………………………………………………43 Figure 15: Activities that Cause Climate Change………………………………………………………………….45 Figure 16: Maize and Plantain Farms in Kwanyaku………………………………………………………………49 Figure 17: Canoes for Fishing and Men Fishing on the Lagoon…………………………………………….51 Figure 18: Shallot and Maize Farms in Keta………………………………………………………………………….51 Figure 19: Inundation of Settlements by the Lagoon and New Settlements………………………..52 6 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Location and Category of Environmental Degradation........................................32 Table 2: Statistics of Disasters, Causes and Effects............................................................33 Table 3: Respondents’ Knowledge on Climate Change......................................................42 Table 4: Knowledge on Causes of Climate Change.............................................................44 Table 5: Activity Profile for Kwanyaku Community............................................................54 Table 6: Activity Profile for Keta Community.....................................................................57 7 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The authors would like to thank UN Women which provided the financial support for this study. We extend our gratitude to Ephraim Denteh and Paul Kretchy who helped us with the data collection. We deeply appreciate the community leaders in Kwanyaku and Keta for their assistance especially Nana Ampim Darko Chief of Agona Kwanyaku and Gladys Kwatema. Special thanks also go to all the participants from the communities in Kwanyaku and the Keta Municipality for their interest, cooperation and time. Without their cooperation and patience this work would not have been completed. 8 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Ghana’s climate is changing: historical data for Ghana across the country from the year 1960 to 2000 clearly shows a progressive rise in temperature of about 1°C in the last 30 year, decrease in mean annual rainfall in all agro-ecological zones in the country and also shows a sea-level rise of 2.1 mm per year over the last 30 years. Even though the country’s contribution to the global climate change problem is negligible, the impact of climate change on the Ghanaian economy is substantial. Some impacts are already being felt and there is enough national evidence that further change will occur. Ghana’s dependence on sectors that are vulnerable to the effects of climate swings and changes is considerable (agriculture, forestry, for example), and the relatively poorly developed infrastructure in both rural and urban areas means that the vagaries of the weather can easily wreak havoc on people’s lives (the amount and quality of harvests in the absence of irrigation/ water storage and reliable post-harvest techniques); the loss to life, property and workplaces caused by floods. In Ghana, women constitute about 50.5% of the total population and they have key roles in several productive sectors, but, in particular, agriculture. They constitute 52% of the agriculture labour force, contribute 46% to the total GDP and produce 70% of subsistence crops. Women are in charge of 85% of food distribution in the country, but in spite of women’s huge contributions in these and other areas, there is a range of socio- economic factors that adversely affect both women’s actual productivity and their potential for increased outputs and the development of well-being in these sectors. The study sought to begin to identify these factors: to understand farmers’ indigenous knowledge; identify gender gaps in this knowledge; and ways in which both men and women, cope and adapt to climate change. We also tried to identify gaps in knowledge and pinpoint areas where scientists and other stakeholders including extension agents could provide vital inputs to assist