If the current temperature trend continues, it is expected to move south from northern Ghana by 2050, researchers warn.
Furthermore, the study stated that a reduction in crop yield by 1 meter tonne per hectare could lead to an additional 350,000 climate-induced migration.
The researchers warned of the deeper climate crisis and its impact on northern Ghana, highlighting the urgent need for practical, comprehensive, targeted interventions to build resilience, reduce vulnerability and mitigate forced relocation.
Under resilience for the Research and Policy Advocacy for Climate Change and Social Change (REACH-STR) project, we present a summary of the findings at the graduation of 18 students at the International Water Management Institute (IWMI) in Accra on Wednesday.
“By 2050, temperatures will rise by 1.5°C, rainfall will drop, more unstable and sea levels will be even higher. These changes could drive 45,000 people each year due to flooding and coastal erosion,” he warned.
He added that waterborne diseases could increase, agriculture could lose up to 2% of its value, and that water-based electricity systems could suffer from an increase in disruption.
“Our research shows that climate change is a true living experience for households in northern Ghana,” he said.
This study is being conducted in the Savannah and Upper West regions, where men adapt primarily through climate-smart agriculture, while women are increasingly dependent on off-farm strategies such as trade and savings. Migration emerged as another broad adaptation strategy adopted by both men and women.
project
Quarmine explained that these findings came from the Reach-STR project under the broader Eu-Ghana Agricultural Programme (EUGAP), focusing on market-oriented agriculture, infrastructure development and resilience to climate change.
The researchers are 19 Ghanaian scholars supported under the Reach-STR project, and will help them implement research in four fields: gender, migration, climate resilience, policy action, and build climate addiction communities through research, education and policy advocacy.
Funded by the European Union (EU) and implemented by IWMI, the initiative marks an important milestone in Ghana’s climate resistance journey.
Gender disparities, climate movement, food security
Another scholar, David Key, examined the interrelationships between climate change, migration and social change.
He recommended that urban planning policies should incorporate an increased influx of climate migrants and encouraged the cultivation of climate-supply crops such as corn, millet, sorghum and rice.
Lambussy district
The work focused on the community in the Lambussy area discussed the work that volatile rainfall and hot temperatures undermined food security.
“The rainfall patterns have become unpredictable, so farmers can no longer plan,” she noted, adding that rising prices have compromised food accessibility due to limited supply of intermediaries and markets.
EU, IWMI reaffirms its commitment to climate adaptation
The study was 300,000 EU-funded scholarships covering tuition fees, scholarships, fieldwork, domestic travel, meeting attendance, soft skills training and internship payments.
The graduate research consisted of four doctoral degrees and 14 masters degrees.
Before graduation, the scholar met with EU ambassador Dolkad Lazarey. Dolkad Lazaree described them as “climate resilience champions” and expressed optimism about their contribution to the country’s development.
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graduation
Upon graduation, Massimo Mina, head of cooperation with the EU delegation to Ghana, reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to climate resilience.
“By strengthening local institutions and improving the skills of young professionals, our community will be able to adapt more effectively,” he said.
He said that practical implementation of research recommendations, beyond policy frameworks, is essential for sustainable impact.
A project funded by the European Union delegation in Ghana and carried out in collaboration with the Council of the University of Ghana’s Centre for Immigration Research (UG-CMS), Simon Diden Dombo Project and Integrated Development Research (SDD-BUIDS), and the Institute for Science and Industrial Research and Science and Technology Policy (CSIR-STEPRI).
