Addressing climate vulnerability through nature-based solutions using transdisciplinary engagement of wetland communities

 

Weather and climate-related disasters have become more frequent in the Volta basin between Ghana and Burkina Faso. For example, water discharged from the Bagre dam in southern Burkina Faso has contributed to destructive flooding of downstream communities, particularly as flooding has become more frequent due to variability of rainfall patterns. These floods have affected several tens of thousands of people in Ghana alone, and unknown numbers in Burkina Faso.

They have also exposed weaknesses in the countries’ preparedness and emergency response systems, the failure of which exacerbates the vulnerability of people, agriculture and infrastructure. Communities in flood-prone areas have been excluded from operational decisions and are often unaware of when a discharge may happen. They lack means and agency to develop ways — many of them nature- and ecosystem-based — to limit the impact of flooding on their lives and livelihoods. There is a need to understand the evolving climate and weather patterns to inform decisions around dam discharge, and to warn and prepare communities.

This project will include extensive vulnerability surveys across the two countries and comprehensive data collection on the biodiversity contributing to nature-based solutions, including piloting best practices and evidence-based multi-stakeholder dialogues. It will support localized climate modelling to improve knowledge of regional trends of precipitation patterns. It will also promote several dialogues between district authorities across borders. Capacity-strengthening activities include contributions to scholarships to masters and PhD students in both countries.

This project is part of the Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARE) initiative, a UK-Canada framework research program aiming to enable socially inclusive and sustainable action to build resilience to climate change and natural hazards in Africa and the Asia-Pacific region.