COMMUNITY BASED INITIATIVES AND STRATEGIES FOR ADAPTING TO WIND STORM DISASTERS ALONG THE BLACK AND WHITE VOLTA RIVERS IN THE NORTHERN REGION OF GHANA

Abstract

Climate change induced disasters have become a regular phenomenon in many parts of the world including Ghana, causing loss of human life and property. This paper particularly investigates how communities along the Black and White Volta Rivers in the Central Gonja district of the Northern region of Ghana adapt to windstorm disasters and to provide policy recommendations on effective strategies to enhance climate change adaptation and resilience. A sample of one hundred (100) respondents, 10 each from 5 communities along the White and Black Volta rivers were randomly selected and interviewed on their knowledge of and how they respond to the phenomenon. Key informant interviews were also held with key institutions of the district. The results reveal that majority of community members along the rivers rely on indigenous early warning systems for alerts on impending windstorms. Their adaptation strategies are varied and their resilience levels are very low. The paper therefore, recommends among other things that the capacity of communities be built on how to complement the indigenous knowledge system with scientific methods for early warning and preparedness in order to boost their resilience.