Building coastal resilience through an integrated approach: Lessons from Ghana

This case study describes a project led by the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS) at the University of Ghana, supported by the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), to build climate resilience in six coastal communities. The project utilized the Community-based Risk Screening Tool for Adaptation and Livelihoods (CRiSTAL) and a 'community-based reciprocal learning' approach to integrate local knowledge into national and district-level development planning.

• Ghana lacks a comprehensive development framework or policy for managing climate-related risks in coastal areas, resulting in top-down decision-making that lacks local ownership and content.
• The project successfully integrated climate resilience into development planning for six urban communities: James Town, Ussher Town, Glefe, Anyakpor, Ada-Foah, and Totope. This was achieved using the CRiSTAL tool to identify adaptation priorities and assess risks to livelihoods.
• The initiative established a communication platform through policy round tables that connected community representatives, academic experts, and government decision-makers. This process allowed subnational assessments to be 'rolled up' into national-level policy discussions in Accra with ministries including the National Development Planning Commission and the Ministries of Local Government and Environment, Science and Technology.
• Local leaders and traditional authorities (Chiefs) were critical to the project's success, as they provided risk-management capacity and mobilized community support, which reduced the need for external personnel.
• The project found that while local populations possess indigenous farming and fishing knowledge and the skills to respond to disasters, they are hindered by a lack of resources and a formal framework to propel them to action.
• The study concludes that long-term resilience is better achieved through grassroots contingency planning and the empowerment of vulnerable populations rather than through disaster relief and donations, which leave populations vulnerable.

APA

Dovie, D., Nyamedor, F., & Anwana, E. D. (2014). Building coastal resilience through an integrated approach: Lessons from Ghana. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Building-coastal-resilience-through-an-integrated-approach-Lessons-from-Ghana.pdf

Chicago

Dovie, D.B.K., Felix Nyamedor, and Enobasi D. Anwana. Building coastal resilience through an integrated approach: Lessons from Ghana. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2014. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Building-coastal-resilience-through-an-integrated-approach-Lessons-from-Ghana.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dovie |first1=D.B.K. |last2=Nyamedor |first2=Felix |last3=Anwana |first3=Enobasi D. |title=Building coastal resilience through an integrated approach: Lessons from Ghana |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=August 2014 |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Building-coastal-resilience-through-an-integrated-approach-Lessons-from-Ghana.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dovie2014building, author = {Dovie, D.B.K. and Nyamedor, Felix and Anwana, Enobasi D.}, title = {{Building coastal resilience through an integrated approach: Lessons from Ghana}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2014}, month = aug, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/Building-coastal-resilience-through-an-integrated-approach-Lessons-from-Ghana.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }