Migration, habitability and climate change in Ghana in 2050 – Issah’s story

This animated video tells the story of Issah, a man from northern Ghana who migrates to the coastal city of Accra as a young man to earn money to support to his family. It shows his life in 2050 in an aspirational scenario for Ghana, when the country has developed significant adaptive capacity, and social, economic, political conditions facilitate migration as an effective strategy to cope with – and adapt to the intensifying impacts of climate change. The scenario shows that when migrants have the opportunity and capacity to engage in decent work, it can result in a triple win, benefiting not just them, but also their home and destination communities.

This video builds on research undertaken by the EU-funded HABITABLE project, which examined how climate change, habitability and migration interact. As the impacts of the climate crisis combine with other risks, migration may serve as an effective adaptation strategy. However, it can also lead to increased vulnerability, and for many it is not an option, either by choice or due to a lack of resources. The links between climate change, habitability and human mobility are complex and highly context specific, with the reasons for and outcomes of migration dependent on a variety of social, political, economic, environmental and demographic factors. 

Developing plausible future scenarios of how global warming may shape migration in different contexts can aid the planning and implementation of measures to support adaptation, strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability. The video was co-developed with experts on climate change adaptation, migration and sustainable development in Ghana, and aims to support the development of people-centred solutions to the climate crisis. This video is part of a series of scenario stories produced as part of the HABITABLE project.

For more information about the scenarios and their development, check out our In search of a habitable future report. 

Produced by: Joshua Knowles 

Directed by: Emily Wright O‘Kelly, adelphi research 

With special thanks to Samuel Ardey Codjoe and Mumuni Abu at the University of Ghana for their contributions.