Building coastal resilience through an integrated approach: Lessons from Ghana

The document details a project led by the Regional Institute for Population Studies (RIPS) at the University of Ghana to build coastal resilience through community-based reciprocal learning and the CRiSTAL tool. It highlights the critical need to integrate local knowledge into national policy, as Ghana's existing top-down planning lacks local ownership and specific district-level implementation plans. Key achievements include the creation of district-level contingency plans and a community-based climate change adaptation fund in Totope. The study argues that long-term resilience requires decentralization, multi-stakeholder engagement, and the empowerment of vulnerable populations to lead their own survival strategies rather than relying on disaster relief.

• Ghana lacks a comprehensive development framework or policy for managing climate-related risks in coastal areas, resulting in top-down decisions that lack the local ownership necessary for effective disaster risk reduction.
• The project successfully integrated climate resilience into development planning across six urban communities: James Town, Ussher Town, Glefe, Anyakpor, Ada-Foah, and Totope, using the Community-based Risk Screening Tool for Adaptation and Livelihoods (CRiSTAL).
• The initiative established a communication platform through policy round tables that connected national ministries—including the Ministries of Environment, Science and Technology; Local Government; and Water Resources, Works and Housing—with local community representatives.
• Local communities in Totope, located in the Ada-East district, conceived the establishment of a community-based climate change adaptation fund during policy outreach.
• The study concludes that disaster relief and donations are insufficient for long-term resilience, as they leave populations vulnerable; instead, grassroots contingency planning and empowerment are essential.
• Effective resilience building depends on harnessing indigenous farming and fishing knowledge and utilizing traditional institutions, such as communal living and respect for culture.

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} }