Abstract:
The Guinea and Sudan Savannah zones of Ghana experiences much of the recent climate change effects than any
other ecological zone in the country. This paper presents the coping strategies adopted by households in response
to the climate change effects of floods and droughts in Northern Ghana. The study espoused a case study design.
Key informants’ interviews, focus group discussions and household interviews were the methods applied in
gathering primary data from 250 household heads randomly selected from six farming communities along the
white Volta basin within three disaster prone districts. The descriptive statistic tool of SPSS was employed in
analyzing, summarizing and describing the data obtained. Key subjective views of the participants were also
presented using quotations. Destruction of food crops and livestock, decline in crop yield and food shortage as
well as destruction of building were identified by the study as the most devastating effects of floods and droughts
in the study areas. To cope with these effects, households adopted various coping dynamics which included
decision not to farm or build in lowlands areas or waterways, migration, reliance on external support and early
planning of activities. The study concludes that the effects of both floods and drought in Northern Ghana poses
great challenges to livelihoods of households who have adapted by find coping strategies. The findings reveal
new dimensions of the empirical accounts on households’ coping dynamics in response the climatic effects of
flood and drought.
