TY - JOUR
T1 - Socio-cultural beliefs on drought in Talensi Ghana
T2 - insights for environmental management, social vulnerability, early warning systems and coping and adaptation
AU - Tindan, Peter Dok
AU - Segbefia, Alexander Yao
AU - Appiah, Divine Odame
AU - Opoku-Ware, Jones
AU - Adjei, Prince Osei Wusu
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - Beliefs form the fabric of every society. Likewise, there are socio-cultural beliefs that people hold as causes of climate risk. This paper sought to identify the socio-cultural beliefs on drought among crop farmers in Talensi, Ghana and how these provide insights for environmental management, social vulnerability, early warning systems and coping and adaptation. The selection of Talensi District was appropriate because it is one of the agrarian districts located in drought prone zone of Ghana. The study was designed following the case study approach. A total of 69 participants were selected through purposive sampling to participate in key informant interviews and focus group discussions conducted across nine (9) communities. The study found that manifestation of bad and/or indecent behavioural practices; performance and/or non-performance of traditional rites; presence and behaviour peculiar animals; and magical conjurations and incantations by spiritualists, diviners and soothsayers were the significant socio-cultural beliefs accounting for drought. The study concludes that the socio-cultural beliefs of the local people are their social-cultural capital and this asset is a useful gamut in explaining the social vulnerability; development of early warning drought systems; and selection of coping and adaptation strategies in Talensi District. A major recommendation is that individuals and institutions with expertise in technical and scientific early warning drought information should be circumspect in not adopting a judgmental approach when they are communicating and disseminating risk information, to the detriment of indigenous knowledge.
AB - Beliefs form the fabric of every society. Likewise, there are socio-cultural beliefs that people hold as causes of climate risk. This paper sought to identify the socio-cultural beliefs on drought among crop farmers in Talensi, Ghana and how these provide insights for environmental management, social vulnerability, early warning systems and coping and adaptation. The selection of Talensi District was appropriate because it is one of the agrarian districts located in drought prone zone of Ghana. The study was designed following the case study approach. A total of 69 participants were selected through purposive sampling to participate in key informant interviews and focus group discussions conducted across nine (9) communities. The study found that manifestation of bad and/or indecent behavioural practices; performance and/or non-performance of traditional rites; presence and behaviour peculiar animals; and magical conjurations and incantations by spiritualists, diviners and soothsayers were the significant socio-cultural beliefs accounting for drought. The study concludes that the socio-cultural beliefs of the local people are their social-cultural capital and this asset is a useful gamut in explaining the social vulnerability; development of early warning drought systems; and selection of coping and adaptation strategies in Talensi District. A major recommendation is that individuals and institutions with expertise in technical and scientific early warning drought information should be circumspect in not adopting a judgmental approach when they are communicating and disseminating risk information, to the detriment of indigenous knowledge.
KW - Drought
KW - Early warning systems
KW - Social vulnerability
KW - Socio-cultural beliefs
KW - Talensi-Ghana
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165579650&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/s10668-023-03606-1
DO - 10.1007/s10668-023-03606-1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85165579650
SN - 1387-585X
JO - Environment, Development and Sustainability
JF - Environment, Development and Sustainability
ER -