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Paper short abstract

This study explores how women and youth in rural communities in Northern Ghana use indigenous knowledge and traditional practices to build resilience to climate change. Findings show that locally led, context-specific strategies reduce yield losses and support livelihoods during droughts and floods

Paper long abstract

In rural communities, women and youth are disproportionately affected by climate change through livelihood practices that depend heavily on natural ecosystems. In Ghana, most rural households rely on subsistence farming, making them highly vulnerable to climate variability. Unpredictable rainfall, rising temperatures, droughts, floods, and biodiversity loss increasingly threaten agricultural productivity and livelihood security. In response, rural farmers draw on indigenous knowledge and traditional agricultural practices to sustain production and strengthen resilience under changing climatic conditions. This paper examines locally led, climate-just approaches that move beyond narrow adaptation responses to promote broader socio-ecological transformation. It foregrounds farmers’ indigenous knowledge systems as critical resources for resilience building, while centring their agency in developing context-specific responses to climate-related challenges affecting farm yields and livelihoods in Yapei and Wungu in Northern Ghana. The study adopted a qualitative research design, employing in-depth interviews and focus group discussions (FGDs). Data were collected through interviews with 22 participants and four FGDs. Findings show that women, youth, and men identified rising temperatures and irregular rainfall as the most significant climatic changes. To cope with these challenges, participants employed various strategies, including traditional land preparation techniques, farming along riverbanks and growing drought-resistant crops. Those who combined several strategies during periods of floods and droughts reported reduced yield losses. Participants also adopted selected climate-smart agricultural practices to enhance food and livelihood security. The study concludes that locally grounded, context-specific resilience strategies rooted in indigenous knowledge constitute a transformative pathway for strengthening agricultural production and livelihood resilience during climate change.