Climate variability’s impact on Ghanaian livelihoods explored

Some participants in a group photograph with Barbara Baidoo [in green]

The critical challenges posed by climate variability to rural livelihoods in Ghana took center stage during a presentation by Barbara Baidoo, a PhD fellow, at the LANDSURF findings dissemination workshop in Accra.

Baidoo’s research revealed the significant toll of climate variability on crop yields and fish stocks, essential pillars of rural economies.

Her conclusion emphasized three key findings:

– Climate variability significantly affects rural livelihoods in Ghana, particularly impacting crop yields and fish stocks.

– Integrating traditional practices with scientific approaches provides localized, adaptive strategies that enhance resilience against climate challenges.

– Cloud-based remote sensing data plays a pivotal role in monitoring and analyzing environmental changes at large scales, enabling real-time insights and facilitating informed decision-making for effective climate adaptation strategies.

Baidoo’s presentation was part of a two-day workshop held on December 18 and 19, 2024, at the Foreign Service Institute in Accra.

The event marked the dissemination of findings from the LANDSURF project, officially titled “Land Surface Processes as a Determinant of Climate Change in Africa – Scenarios, High-Resolution Modeling, and Development of a Stakeholder Data Portal.” The initiative is a WASCAL WRAP 2.0 project supported by the German Federal Ministry of High Education and Research (BMBF).

Over three years of intensive research, the LANDSURF project has developed a high-resolution regional earth system model for West Africa (WESM) and an interactive Decision Support System (DSS) for agriculture, food production, and land management.

The workshop brought together stakeholders to explore the DSS’s applications, gather feedback for improvement, and discuss practical strategies for implementing research findings.

The event underscored the importance of bridging scientific research with traditional knowledge and practical applications to promote sustainable land management and climate resilience.