A study by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) conducted in four communities in the Capital City of the country has revealed that climate change was driving migration patterns in the city, forcing residents to relocate.
The four communities — Glefe, Agbogbloshie, Old Fadama and Odorna — identified flooding, extreme heat, sea-level rise and unpredictable rainfall as the main climate hazards driving internal mobility in the city.
The research findings, presented at a media briefing in Accra on October 3, also revealed the loss of residential structures, permanent displacement and economic dislocation, especially among women engaged in coastal livelihoods such as fish smoking.
The study observed local coping mechanisms, including youth volunteers who desilt drains, community early-warning networks using WhatsApp and neighbourhood runners who warn residents of rising water levels.
Women were also reported to pool resources to rent safer housing or form savings groups to recover after floods, but these arrangements remain fragile without formal support.
Researchers further recorded heightened care burdens on women, incidents of gender-based violence, exclusion from services for female migrants and gaps in access to secure livelihoods after relocation.
Reality
The National Project Officer of IOM Ghana, Eric Kwame Akomani, who presented the findings of the study, showed that the conversation on climate change and human mobility was no longer a matter of debate but a reality affecting communities in the capital.
He said there was a need for more inclusive policy planning and engagement to ensure that the needs of climate-affected migrants were addressed in a targeted manner. “Issues around early warning systems, gender dimensions and the double burden women face as a result of climate-induced mobility must be properly addressed so that they can be supported,” he said.
The IOM national officer emphasised the need for data to build a stronger evidence base for targeted responses, pointing out that women were often the last to evacuate during floods in order to secure their households and children. “It is, therefore, critical that they are fully involved in the response process,” he said.
Mr Akomani added that the IOM was working closely with the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO) to establish local technical committees on migration.
These committees, he explained, would strengthen local capacity to respond to climate-related displacement.
The project, he said, had also led to the establishment of a migrant desk at the Accra Metropolitan Assembly (AMA) to provide referrals and coordinated support for displaced persons.
“This is just the beginning. We want to scale up to Kumasi and other municipalities so that effective and comprehensive referral mechanisms are in place for displaced communities,” he noted.
Recommendations
Mr Akomani said the IOM had made recommendations in four key areas including capacity-building for city officials on the linkages between climate change and migration; strengthening of community-level early warning systems; mainstreaming climate-induced mobility into national and local development policy frameworks; and ensuring sustainability of interventions through budgeting and planning.
“The findings from Accra can easily be replicated in other parts of the country that are already experiencing similar challenges.
This makes it important to plan and act now to manage the impacts of climate change on human mobility,” he added.
