CLIMATE CHANGE AND MIGRATION CONFERENCE

On 26^th – 27^th November 2021, the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) Economic Policy Competence Centre (EPCC) and the Youth Advocacy on Rights and Opportunities (YARO) organized the Climate Change and Migration Conference. The conference provided a platform to discuss effective and efficient ways of curbing the rising migration in the Northern part of Ghana. The conference was themed, Effective Migration Management a Reflection of a Climate Just Society.

The discussions revealed that; climate change is a recent driver of migration in the northern part of Ghana. Excessive flooding due to climate change has destroyed many farms and displaced the livelihood of many. In effect, an active labour force that could contribute meaningfully to socio-economic development is forced to migrate to the Southern part of Ghana and overseas, searching for sustainable livelihood. Nonetheless, the overburdened economic systems, overstretched government capacities to provide jobs, the housing deficits in the southern parts of Ghana, and illegal means of emigration expose these migrants to inhumane conditions. Hence, reducing their active and meaningful participation in the socio-economic development of Ghana. 

Summary Points of Policy Recommendations:

• Investing and promoting ‘green jobs’ has great potential for job creation and transformation of existing jobs.
• Make cities more accessible for migrants: access to property rights, social protection, public services.
• There is a need for the initiation of national policy development on climate change and migration, as well as dialogue on these issues.
• There is a pressing need for information on climate change effects, and of adaptation options.
• The gender implications of climate change are not well understood. Most climate change data are not disaggregated by gender and there have been limited analyses of the gender implications of climate change-related issues.
• The government should establish factories and industries in northern Ghana to create job opportunities, to address the north-south development gap.
• Moving homes and businesses out of flood prone locations. they can choose to do this, or the government can facilitate it by buying out at-risk properties.
• Strict planning to avoid construction in flood-prone areas.
• Embed climate migration in development planning.
• Make cities more accessible for migrants: access to property rights, social protection, public services