Livelihood vulnerabilities and diversification of fishing households in Ghana

ABSTRACT

This article reports on a study that employed the livelihood vulnerability approach and Simpson’s diversification index to examine the vulnerability and diversification of fishing households in Ghana, using primary data from 715 households. It found significant differences between the vulnerability indexes of the combined areas below the Akosombo dam and the area upstream of the dam. A majority of the households have diversified their activities. Therefore, policy interventions to make fishing households less vulnerable should focus on households upstream of the Akosombo dam. Policy interventions that enhance the diversification of the fishing households to enable them reduce their income risks are important.

KEYWORDS:

• Environment (built and natural) – agriculture, climate change
• Labour and livelihoods – poverty reduction
• economics

Acknowledgements

The authors are very grateful to A.G Leventis Foundation for providing financial support for this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes on contributors

Francis K.Y. Amevenku is a scientist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, Water Research Institute, Accra, Ghana.

John K.M. Kuwornu is an Associate Professor at the Department of Food, Agriculture and Bioresources, Asian Institute of Technology, Thailand.

Alhassan W. Seini is an Associate Professor at the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.

Yaw B. Osei-Asare is a Senior Lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.

Henry Anim-Somuah is a Lecturer at the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana.

Notes

1 Numerous other studies have used the livelihood vulnerability index to examine the vulnerability of households (e.g. Etwire et al. 2013; Adu et al. 2017; Alhassan, Kuwornu, and Osei-Asare 2018).

2 US$1 = GH¢ 3.40 in January 2016, when data were collected.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by A.G Leventis Foundation.