Livelihood Adaptation And Migration: A Case Of Selected Estuarine Communities Along The Coast Of Ghana

Abstract

Globally, migration has become an important livelihood strategy for many poor households, with estuaries and seashores playing a central role as points of human settlement and marine resource use. In Ghana, estuarine wetlands support and attract fisher migrants for livelihood adaptation. This study evaluates the impact of estuarine ecosystems on fishers' livelihood migration patterns and anthropogenic stresses on Ghanaian estuaries. Fisher household heads from five estuaries communities were selected using multistage sampling. Data for the study was collected using 652 structured interview schedule, seven focus groups discussions, and 10 in-depth interviews. The results revealed the selected estuaries along Ghana's coast were degraded based on a 34-year LULC change analysis. The type of fishing gear (P = 0.001), Sanctions (P=0.000), and Experience in fishing (P=0.001) were revealed to have a significant negative influence on the degradation of the estuaries along Ghana's Coast. There was a strong positive correlation between ethnicity and migration among migrant fishers (Cramer's V = 0.71). The results also revealed conflicts over the use of the estuarine ecosystem between migrant and native fishers found in Anlo Beach, Faana and Kewunor communities. Overall, fisher‘s household livelihood security index was 67%. Understanding fisher migration patterns is necessary for managing Ghana's coastal ecosystems, especially estuaries. Uncontrolled migration might lead to overexploitation and resource degradation, compromising SDG 14 and fishers' livelihoods.