Research paper · 2026-10-26

Climate Awareness and Local Adaptation in Ghana

By WOMATE Research Team

Abstract

A WOMATE field study of 400 respondents in Akuapem North and Okere, exploring climate awareness and access to local adaptation programmes.

Full article

WOMATE FIELD RESEARCH REPORT WoK Action: Women's Local Wisdom & Everyday Climate Leadership Baseline Study on Adaptation Knowledge and Resource Disconnects in the Eastern Region, Ghana ORGANIZATION: WOMATE (Women in Climate) | LOCATION: Eastern Region (Akuapem North Municipality & Okere District) | SAMPLE SIZE: N = 400 93.0% 75.0% 14.8% 6.5% Climate Change Awareness Farming Livelihood Dependency Awareness of Local Programs Actual Adaptation Participation 1. Executive Summary & WoK Action Context Under the WoK Action pillar, WOMATE elevates local communities as primary knowledge holders and co-creators of climate solutions. Combining quantitative survey methods with Key Informant Interviews (KIIs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), and storytelling, this research investigates climate adaptation realities across the Eastern Region of Ghana. The baseline survey captured 400 participants across Akuapem North Municipality (n = 251, 62.8%) and Okere District (n = 149, 37.2%). While climate awareness is virtually universal at 93.0%, a severe institutional disconnect persists: only 14.8% of residents know of local adaptation initiatives, and merely 6.5% have ever participated in an adaptation project. 2. Demographic Profile & Socioeconomic Vulnerability The survey data reveals significant socioeconomic vulnerabilities and a strong dependency on climate-sensitive agricultural livelihoods across surveyed towns: ● Livelihood Dependency: 75.0% (n = 300) rely on farming as their primary occupation (75.7% in Akuapem North; 73.8% in Okere). Small-scale trading accounts for 13.2% (n = 53), artisans 5.5% (n = 22), and public service 4.8% (n = 19). ● Gender Distribution: Respondents comprised 66.8% male (n = 267) and 33.3% female (n = 133). Female participation was higher in Akuapem North (36.3%) compared to Okere District (28.2%). ● Educational Attainment: 19.8% (n = 79) have no formal education, 28.0% (n = 112) completed primary school, 26.8% (n = 107) JHS, 21.0% (n = 84) SHS, and only 4.5% (n = 18) hold tertiary degrees. ● Community Residency & Income: 86.5% (n = 346) have lived in their community for over 5 years. Most households earn over GHS 1,000 monthly (74.3%, n = 297), while 24.0% (n = 96) earn GHS 500–1,000, and 1.8% earn under GHS 500.WOMATE | WoK ACTION FIELD RESEARCH REPORT EASTERN REGION, GHANA Women Leading Climate Action in Africa (WOMATE) Page 2 www.womate.org Metric / Variable Akuapem North (n=251) Okere District (n=149) Combined Total (N=400) Farming Primary Livelihood 190 (75.7%) 110 (73.8%) 300 (75.0%) Trading / Commerce 30 (12.0%) 23 (15.4%) 53 (13.2%) Female Participation 91 (36.3%) 42 (28.2%) 133 (33.3%) Resided >5 Years in Town — — 346 (86.5%) Monthly Income > GHS 1,000 — — 297 (74.3%) Figure 1: Livelihood Profile and Gender Distribution across Surveyed Communities 3. The Climate Adaptation Awareness-Action Gap A core empirical finding of the Eastern Region field research is the pronounced bottleneck between baseline risk awareness and actual adaptation participation. While 93.0% (n = 372) of respondents have heard of climate change and 88.0% (n = 352) acknowledge direct community impacts, actionable engagement drops sharply at local levels: ● Adaptation Concept Awareness: 77.0% (n = 308) recognize the concept of climate adaptation (73.3% in Akuapem North vs 83.2% in Okere). ● Local Program Awareness: Only 14.8% (n = 59) are aware of any adaptation initiative in their community (13.1% in Akuapem North; 17.4% in Okere). Over 82% reported zero local program visibility. ● Program Participation: Merely 26 individuals out of 400 (6.5%) have ever directly participated in an adaptation project (15 in Akuapem North; 11 in Okere). ● Program Governance & Selection: Programs were primarily led by District Assemblies (n = 21), NGOs (n = 4), and Traditional Leaders (n = 1). Selection mechanisms relied heavily on Assembly selection (n = 15) and volunteering (n = 5).WOMATE | WoK ACTION FIELD RESEARCH REPORT EASTERN REGION, GHANA Women Leading Climate Action in Africa (WOMATE) Page 3 www.womate.org Figure 2: The Adaptation Drop-Off: General Awareness vs Local Program Participation 4. Comparative Institutional & Policy Analysis Comparative evaluation highlights distinct governance trajectories between the two local government areas: Governance Dimension Okere District Akuapem North Municipality Planning Structure No structured adaptation planning. Program-based, policy-informed planning (e.g. REDD+). Budgetary Provision No dedicated adaptation funding. Limited internal funding; heavily dependent on external NGOs. Institutional Coordination Weak, reactive, and fragmented. Multi-stakeholder coordination, relatively structured. Resource Distribution Politicized, inadequate, and inequitable. More structured distribution, though delayed and uneven. 5. Lived Experiences & Qualitative Testimonies Qualitative insights from Key Informant Interviews and Focus Group Discussions illustrate the material realities and resource dependencies of community members: “We need help in the form of money, machines, and fertilizers… we need all the help we can get. The funds we receive are not used for anything significant for farmers—sometimes it is just for programmes like Farmers’ Day.” — Key Informant Interview (KII), Traditional Actor, Okere DistrictWOMATE | WoK ACTION FIELD RESEARCH REPORT EASTERN REGION, GHANA Women Leading Climate Action in Africa (WOMATE) Page 4 www.womate.org “Some of the support we get, like seedlings and training, comes from projects like REDD+, not always from the Assembly. Government supports infrastructure like roads and water, but for climate-related support we often depend on external programmes.” — Focus Group Discussion (FGD) Participant, Akuapem North Municipality 6. Strategic Recommendations across WOMATE Action Pillars To bridge the adaptation gap and institutional inequities, WOMATE outlines actionable recommendations aligned with its core pillars: ● 1. Visibility & Sovereignty: Center rural women smallholders as active co-creators of adaptation strategy rather than passive aid recipients, ensuring traditional agricultural wisdom informs formal municipal plans. ● 2. Decentralized Adaptation Hubs: Establish community-based climate information nodes to eliminate the 80%+ communication vacuum in local adaptation updates. ● 3. Direct & Equitable Resource Allocation: Advocate for transparent, non-politicized budget allocations for agricultural machinery, water storage, and drought-resistant seeds. Report Compiled by WOMATE (Women in Climate) | WoK Action Research Initiative | 2026