Paper short abstract:

Climate-induced migration is common in contexts of high vulnerability. In agricultural communities, land ownership arrangements mediate climate adaptation and resilience strategies with implications for women’s productive capacities, gender (in)equality and migration intentions.

Paper long abstract:

In this study, we explore the links between climate change, women’s rights to land and their migration intentions in Ghana by asking the following questions: How does climate change affect women’s contributions to household (economic) livelihood strategies? In what ways, and to what extent, does (unequal) access to land in climate-stressed communities affect women’s adaptation and resilience to climate change? What does the above mean for women’s migration decisions? We address these questions through a case study of two communities in the Savannah and North-East Regions of Ghana where farming, the main stay of local economy, is dominated by women. The study finds that insecure land tenure arrangements, rooted in customary practices, including inheritance systems, exacerbate the adverse impact of climate change on women’s (re)productive capabilities, potentially worsening existing gender inequalities, whilst also limiting women’s resilience and adaptation options. This results in seasonal, temporary and permanent migration as a coping strategy. The findings beg the question whether recent state interventions in response to climate shocks, including the Government of Ghana’s flagship One Village One Dam programme are achieving their objectives. We argue that climate interventions must depart from one-size-fits all approaches and be sensitive to the (gendered) land tenure arrangements in specific contexts especially in agricultural communities. Our findings highlight the primacy of localizing the sustainable development goals on, among others, gender, inequality and the environment in order to achieve the aspiration of leaving no one behind.