The farmers forced to migrate by Dorcas Abban
13 images Created 3 Apr 2022
The impacts of climate change such as rising temperatures, declining rainfall totals and increased variability, high incidence of weather extremes and disasters, has led young girls in rural communities in Northern Ghana, to migrate to the city, Tamale, to find greener pastures, especially those whose parents rely solely on farming during the rainy season.
The change is attributed to hotter temperatures that lead to droughts, resulting in a change of farming seasons. This, for the young girls and their families, leaves them in poverty since they would be struggling to feed.
The majority of the inhabitants of Yepalsi, a farming community in the Savelugu Municipality of the Northern region of Ghana, who solely rely on agriculture have to find an alternative way of surviving due to the long dry season leading to poverty and lack of food and causing them to relocate and migrate from their rural communities to urban centers.
Because of climate change, and its devastating effects on sustainable livelihoods, a lot of people, mostly; vulnerable young girls, are forced to move from their initial homes for greener pastures outside their villages to the cities, such as Tamale.
The majority of rural dwellers, especially the girls in Yepalsi, support their parents who are into agricultural production, where they rely solely on rainfall for farming.
According to some community members in Yepalsi, a farming community in the Savelugu Municipality of the Northern Region, climate change has increased poverty levels among the people. This is due to loss of farm produce, particularly perishables, during the dry season.
They are forced to throw away spoiled ones when they become unacceptable for human consumption, leading to a reduction in income generation.
They also noted that water bodies dry up during the dry season, a situation that does not only impact humans negatively, but also both domestic and wild animals.
In dealing with the impacts of climate change, the people said they temporarily venture into other businesses such as baking during the dry season, to sustain their livelihood.
Despite venturing into these businesses, they still struggle to survive, forcing them to migrate to the cities to find menial jobs to survive.
The change is attributed to hotter temperatures that lead to droughts, resulting in a change of farming seasons. This, for the young girls and their families, leaves them in poverty since they would be struggling to feed.
The majority of the inhabitants of Yepalsi, a farming community in the Savelugu Municipality of the Northern region of Ghana, who solely rely on agriculture have to find an alternative way of surviving due to the long dry season leading to poverty and lack of food and causing them to relocate and migrate from their rural communities to urban centers.
Because of climate change, and its devastating effects on sustainable livelihoods, a lot of people, mostly; vulnerable young girls, are forced to move from their initial homes for greener pastures outside their villages to the cities, such as Tamale.
The majority of rural dwellers, especially the girls in Yepalsi, support their parents who are into agricultural production, where they rely solely on rainfall for farming.
According to some community members in Yepalsi, a farming community in the Savelugu Municipality of the Northern Region, climate change has increased poverty levels among the people. This is due to loss of farm produce, particularly perishables, during the dry season.
They are forced to throw away spoiled ones when they become unacceptable for human consumption, leading to a reduction in income generation.
They also noted that water bodies dry up during the dry season, a situation that does not only impact humans negatively, but also both domestic and wild animals.
In dealing with the impacts of climate change, the people said they temporarily venture into other businesses such as baking during the dry season, to sustain their livelihood.
Despite venturing into these businesses, they still struggle to survive, forcing them to migrate to the cities to find menial jobs to survive.
