Understanding non-economic loss and damage due to climate change in Ghana

ABSTRACT

The concept of non-economic loss and damage (NELD) of climate change has emerged strongly in the international policy arena in the past few years. Nonetheless, while research on climate-induced loss has focused on the economic dimension, the non-economic aspects have often been side-lined in academic research and policy debate. This paper draws on in-depth interviews and a focus group with farmers to develop a comprehensive understanding of climate-induced non-economic loss and damage in southern Ghana. A key finding of the research is that climate change has a non-economic loss aspect, leading to a loss of social cohesion and indigenous knowledge of farming. We further demonstrate that the loss of social cohesion and indigenous knowledge of agriculture drives individualism among farmers. Our findings have implications for climate change adaptation strategies and policies across the global South.

KEYWORDS:

• Non-economic loss and damage
• indigenous knowledge
• climate change
• Ghana

Acknowledgments

We thank smallholder farmers in Ayensua Kokoo for their participation in this study. We also thank Madam Doris Sarpong, an extension officer with Ghana’s Ministry of Food and Agriculture, for her assistance. Finally, we thank Mr Binche Noah N-Yajasan for the cartographic service.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

James Boafo

James Boafo is Lecturer in the Department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana. His research interests include Socio-ecological systems, Food systems, Systems thinking and Political ecology.

Thomas Yeboah

Thomas Yeboah is a Research Fellow/Lecturer with the Bureau of Integrated Rural Development (BIRD), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Thomas has strong research interest on the relationship between migration and development, rural livelihoods and development as well as how young people build livelihoods in the rural economy and its potential to provide decent and sustainable employment.

Lawrence Guodaar

Lawrence Guodaar is a Lecturer at the department of Geography and Rural Development, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi. His research focuses on how agricultural systems are developing resilience to mitigate climate change risks and improve food security in sub-Saharan Africa.

Yamoah Stephanie

Yamoah Stephanie is a Graduate Student at the Department of Geography and Environment, University of Denver, USA. Her research interests include nature-based climate solutions, forest cover change and land use land cover change.

Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong

Hanson Nyantakyi-Frimpong is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography & the Environment, University of Denver, USA. His research interests include political ecology, the human dimensions of global environmental change, and sustainable agriculture and food systems.