ACCESS4ALL Group

In Ghana, the problem of climate change has been rising and dominating the livelihoods, especially in the rural populations, where rural populations are largely farming and natural resource based. Increased temperatures, unpredictable rain and extended dry periods, and frequent floods have exerted a high strain on the food system and availability of water. Nevertheless, it is possible to see that traditional knowledge and community-based practices are still used in many communities as they strive to adapt to these challenges. One such community-based Adaptation (CBA) and Locally-Led Adaptation (LLA) can be seen in some farming communities in the Upper East Region, especially around the Kassena-Nankana region.

Unpredictable rainfall patterns and frequent drought that occurred are the main challenges that have been discussed in this community initiative because these factors have led to low crop production and high food insecurity. The previous season of fairly predictable rainy weather allowed farmers to base their planting on rainy season. Nevertheless, the trends have been broken by the climate change which has resulted in late rains and dry periods in the growing season and flash floods that kill crops occasionally.

Planning and decision making have been done actively by local people. The old people within the society, farmers, the women sections, and the traditional leaders also hold regular meetings to talk about the seasons and how to farm. The elders enrich the indigenous knowledge pertaining to prediction of rainfalls, soils fertilities, and land management, and farmers make decisions collaboratively on the date of planting, choice of crops, water utilization practices. Women, the key players in food processing and food household water management, give information on seed preservation, crop storage, and water management. They are also decided by discussions within communities and not by external solutions, which represent the ideals of local led adaptations.

Mixed cropping, and intercropping especially the practice of growing millet, sorghum, groundnuts and legumes on the same pieces of land is one of the adaptation practices practiced in the community. This minimizes the chances of complete failure of crops in case of poor rainfall. The farmers also adopt the local seed varieties that are indigenous and well adapted to the local soil and climate conditions. The other valuable practice is the building and repair of small traditional earth bunds and dug outs that serve in capturing water and preventing soil erosion during down pours. For land preparation and post flood recovery, the there are communal labor systems, called nnoboa locally.

These practices have been more or less positive in terms of outcomes. Food security is also improved in the households, even during hard seasons, and farmers record more stable output as opposed to the mono-cropping systems. The traditional bunds in the places where they are preserved have improved soil moisture retention and minimized soil erosion. Other than offering environmental benefits, the initiatives have enhanced social cohesion because adaptation is no longer seen as an individual burden but a collective responsibility.

The traditional and native practices in this region are still closely related to local culture, values, and identity. Traditional agricultural knowledge is taught orally by the senior to the younger generations and land stewardship is regarded as a duty towards the ancestor as well as to the future generations. The cooperation and respect to nature is strengthened by seasonal farming rituals and a collective work. Such practices are technical reactions to the threat of climate, as well as cultural identity and resilience.

Nevertheless, these practices have various challenges to the continued use of the practices. Youth migration to urban regions, a lack of policy awareness of indigenous knowledge and increasing dependence on externally generated resolutions jeopardize the sustainability of the local adaptation systems. In other situations the new farming inputs are marketed without proper attention to the local situation in which the perceived value of the traditional methods diminishes.

The Locally-Led Adaptation framework could empower such practices by the indigenous by incorporating them into the current climate information and institutional support. This involves direct funding of the community groups, officially acknowledging traditional leaders and women groups in the making of decisions, and integrating indigenous knowledge with the scientific weather forecasting. Preservation of knowledge between generations can also be supported through the community-led documentation and training.

To sum up, the case of the Kassena-Nankana region shows that the traditional and community-based adaptation strategies are still very relevant in the climate response in Ghana. The more the adaptation efforts are taken up by the local people who are empowered to make their own solutions based on their knowledge and values, the more sustainable, culturally appropriate, and effective the solutions become. The reinforcement of these practices with the help of Locally-Led Adaptation strategies is an effective way to create long-term climate resilience in communities in Ghana.