Comparative Assessment of Societal Resilience to Climate-Induced Stresses in Rural Agricultural Communities in Northern and Southern Ghana

Abstract

Climate change-induced disasters, such as droughts and floods, are increasingly contributing to the vulnerability of rural agricultural communities, especially in sub-Saharan African countries like Ghana. Rural communities characterised by low resilience capacities experience devastating economic, social, and ecological impacts from climate-induced disasters, which are becoming more frequent and intense. Using a case study approach, this paper investigated the effects of droughts and floods on the vulnerability and resilience of four rural agricultural communities in two districts in northern and southern Ghana. A mixed-methods research design approach was employed to collect qualitative and quantitative data from secondary and primary sources on the impacts of climate change on purposively selected communities, as well as to assess their vulnerability and resilience. Purposive and random sampling techniques were used to collect information from relevant stakeholder groups in the four communities, and the data were analysed with the SPSS version 21 package. A key finding of the paper is that the resilience capacity of local communities in the two districts to manage natural disasters and reduce vulnerability effectively is woefully inadequate. The challenges of the vulnerability-resilience dilemma faced by communities are identified, and appropriate solutions are recommended for strengthening their adaptation and coping capacities.