Connecting Climate Change Adaptation to Sustainable Urbanization: A Study of Urban Wa, Ghana

Abstract

It has been recognized that Africa is predominantly vulnerable to climate change and that this vulnerability is instigated by the continent’s rising poverty levels, weak adaptive capacity, over reliance on rain-fed subsistence agriculture and weak institutional and economic capacity. This study looked at the connection between sustainable urbanization and climate change adaptation in urban Wa of the Upper West Region of Ghana. The research respondents for the study were officials from the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Farmer groups, small holder farmers, and officials from the Ghana Meteorological Station, Non-Governmental Organizations, Civil Society Groups, youth and adults in the Wa urban area to ascertain the effects of climate change adaptation on sustainable urbanization. The study used a hybrid methodology to gather both quantitative and qualitative information. Two focused group discussion was conducted to assess the sustainability of climate change adaptation strategies, effects of urbanization on climate change and measures employed to mitigate climate change challenges in the Wa urban area. The findings showed that the climate change's effects on livelihood activities and people's own initiatives both had a role in Wa's climate change adaptation. Through public education regarding the climate, the Department of Agriculture and several organizations that are not governmental working in urban Wa as well influenced adaption efforts. Effective adaptation is hampered by issues like restricted access to resources, the failure of some initiatives, and a scarcity of knowledge regarding adaptation. The paper states that the local assembly should take the lead in environmental protection by passing a variety of bylaws to safeguard environmental assets and by encouraging local initiatives like tree planting and water and soil conservation plans. Urban Wa as a whole also has to put in place an integrated urban planning framework.