Paper short abstract:

This paper explores the impact of politically-driven historical and present-day rural transformations in Kwahu East, Ghana. Through reflections on recent empirical fieldwork research, it poses a challenge to 'Spaces of Future-Making', calling for redistribution of power in decision-making processes.

Paper long abstract:

Kwahu East borders the largest man-made lake in the world - Lake Volta - the arrival of which transformed rural life. Thousands of people were displaced and many resettled in Kwahu towns; forest-shaded cocoa crops started failing; wildfires increased the presence of grasslands, stoking farmer-herder conflicts; the rains became both lighter and less predictable. Regardless of whether these events are causal or coincidental, local narratives speak of historical transformation which most people had little say in. Fast forward sixty years: the land which previously felt plentiful and abundant, both in size and yield, is starting to feel overcrowded, over-exploited and contested by different actors all wanting access for incompatible purposes. The cogs of rural transformation keep turning with large private and state-led development projects - an airport, conference centre and tourist sites. As available space reduces and access to decision-making remains limited, there is a risk that local conflicts and economic inequalities are further exacerbated.

Drivers of change are politically, socially and environmentally embedded. This talk will explore rural transformations, both historical and recent, that result from political persuasions, personalities and privilege. The paper draws on empirical research from PhD fieldwork uncovering the multidimensional drivers of tree cover change in the transition forest zone. The author uses these reflections to argue that, to pursue rural transformation that prioritises both social and ecological well-being, those facilitating 'Spaces of Future-Making' must acknowledge the agency of all actors, deconstruct the narratives that underpin current trajectories of development and redistribute power in decision-making processes.