The Kazuhiko Takuechi Centre for Sustainability and Resilience (KTCSR) at the University for Development Studies (UDS) in collaboration with the Friedrich-Ebert Stiftung Ghana Office of Economic Policy Competence Centre (FES-EPCC) and the Youth Advocacy on Rights and Opportunities (YARO) held a one-day Workshop at the Climate Change and Migration Conference in the Savanna Region, at the Wuripe and Sons Royal Lodge, Bole. The conference which brought together stakeholders from different fields to discuss the issues of climate change and its effects on livelihoods was under the sub-theme “Floods, Livelihoods and Migration in Northern Ghana”. This was in response to the nascent issue of climate migration and how the phenomenon has threatened the livelihoods of people and caused movements from especially the rural areas to urban centres in search of better opportunities.

The topics discussed at the conference included: Climate Sustainability Actions in Northern Ghana and its Implications on Migration; Causes, Impacts of Flood Risk Adaption in Northern Ghana; and Flood Risk Management Governance and Resilience. The resource persons were Dr. Hamdiyah Alhassan, Director of KTCSR - UDS, Prof. Francis Obeng, UDS, and Prof. Ebenezer Owusu-Sekyere, Institute for Distance and Continuing Education (IDCE) – UDS. 

The Director of KTCSR, Dr. Hamdiyah Alhassan in her opening remarks noted that climate change is now driving migration and would in the future through its influence on economic, social and political drivers which themselves fuel migration. As such, there was the need to examine the situation, and find sustainable solutions to the underlying causes. Other presenters at the conference noted that the drivers of climate change and climate migrations have largely been anthropogenic.
Among other suggestions to address the menace, participants proposed that an attitudinal change is important to addressing the anthropogenic causes. Also, revamping Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) could reduce climate migrations. This is because skills obtained from TVET education would set the youth up after school so that they do not have to move out to look for better opportunities in urban centers. Lastly, the provision of basic infrastructure in the rural areas, could reduce the movement of the rural poor which would limit the tendencies of migrants ending up in demeaning and dehumanizing situations, endangering their welfare. 

Also, present at the event were representatives from the Ghana Meteorological Agency, the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Environmental Protection Agency, WASCAL, Ghana Immigration Service, youth groups, traditional leaders and Assembly members.