Fulani herders and indigenous strategies of climate change adaptation in Kpongu community, North-Western Ghana: implications for adaptation planning

ABSTRACT

The literature on indigenous adaptation strategies has generally focused on food crop farming with limited perspectives on livestock production, particularly in Africa. This study draws on qualitative data to identify and categorize the various indigenous adaptation strategies of herdsmen in cattle production. The results reveal multiple indigenous strategies of climate change adaptation in cattle herding among the Fulani. These include mobility-based strategies, diversification of sources of feed, labour division for meeting differentiated needs of cattle, and stress management in cattle. The results suggest that the integration of indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation planning is imperative for developing socially acceptable and sustainable adaptation strategies. This will require a bridge of the differences between formal and informal stakeholders in adaptation planning by creating a common platform for dialogue at all levels in arid environments.

KEYWORDS:

• Herder
• Fulani
• Indigenous Strategies
• Climate adaptation
• Ghana

Disclosure statement

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

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Lambert Abatanie Napogbong

Lambert Abatanie Napogbong is an underwriting and claims professional and has managed large portfolios with 12 years of working experience, at one of Ghana's leading insurance companies. For his undergraduate studies he read Integrated Development Studies and postgraduate studies in Development Management, both at the University for Development Studies, Ghana. His research interest includes climate science and policy, community-level climate change adaptations, sustainable development and environmental sustainability

Abubakari Ahmed

Abubakari Ahmed is currently a lecturer at the Department of Planning of the University for Development Studies (UDS), Ghana. Prior to joining UDS, he was a postdoc at the University of Trier in Germany and a recipient of a Humboldt Research Fellowship and Green Talents Award. His current research focuses on the water-energy-food nexus by assessing the resource interdependencies at the household level. Abubakari has won several different awards, including the United Nations University Junior Fellowship, the Tertiary Education Scholarship Trust for Africa, Humboldt Research Fellowship, African Peace Network Grant of the Social Science Research Council, and the Land Matrix Ghana Data Campaign.

Emmanuel K. Derbile

Emmanuel K. Derbile is an Associate Professor at the University for Development Studies (UDS), Ghana. He is currently the Dean of the Faculty of Planning and Land Management as well as the acting Principal of the Wa Campus of UDS. He has background in Development Studies and his research interests focus on climate change adaptation, resilience, rural livelihood and indigenous knowledge systems.