Training handbook for climate-adaptive, resilient livelihoods

This training handbook, developed by the Regional Institute for Population Studies at the University of Ghana and the Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN), provides a guide for strengthening the resilience of women in rural Ghana. It focuses on empowering women in the Volta delta region to adapt to climate-related economic challenges through training in value addition, business management, financial literacy, and leadership.

• Climate change has worsened the economic struggles of women in Ghana's Volta delta region, where coastal erosion and the salinisation of groundwater and lagoons have damaged fishing and agricultural livelihoods. This has led to a high number of female-headed households due to the migration of able-bodied males, while a patrilineal inheritance system restricts women's access to land tenure.
• Women in the Volta delta face several economic barriers, including limited knowledge of productive land use, lack of access to regional markets, insufficient skills in business management and marketing, and a lack of expertise in packaging agricultural products. Additionally, many women cannot access microfinance because they lack collateral and knowledge of financing options.
• The handbook employs a non-literacy-based training approach designed for participants with low literacy levels. It minimizes text and instead utilizes drawings, photographs, videos, storytelling, and physical objects (such as sticks and stones for counting) to convey concepts. Facilitators are encouraged to use local languages, metaphors, and idioms to ensure clarity.
• The training is structured into four modules: Value Addition, Business Management, Financing Your Business, and Women’s Empowerment and Leadership. The 'Business Management' module specifically uses a 'tree metaphor' where seeds represent business ideas, water represents money, branches represent activities, and fruits represent results to make complex business topics accessible.
• To improve profit margins, the handbook emphasizes 'value addition'—adding features to a basic product that buyers will pay extra for. It suggests processing raw materials, such as converting cassava into gari or drying and packaging fish and tomatoes, and encourages obtaining certification through the Food and Drugs Authority's (FDA) Progressive Licensing Scheme (PLS).
• The handbook promotes Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) as an empowering alternative to formal banks for women. VSLAs are community-based initiatives that allow members to save money and access loans with low interest rates without requiring landed property as collateral.

APA

Climate and Development Knowledge Network (n.d.). Training handbook for climate-adaptive, resilient livelihoods. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN-Training-Hanbook-Ghana_WEB.pdf

Chicago

Climate and Development Knowledge Network. Training handbook for climate-adaptive, resilient livelihoods. n.d. https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN-Training-Hanbook-Ghana_WEB.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |title=Training handbook for climate-adaptive, resilient livelihoods |url=https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN-Training-Hanbook-Ghana_WEB.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{climateanddevelopmentknowledgenetworkndtraining, author = {{Climate and Development Knowledge Network}}, title = {{Training handbook for climate-adaptive, resilient livelihoods}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, url = {https://cdkn.org/sites/default/files/files/CDKN-Training-Hanbook-Ghana_WEB.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }