Security in Uncertainty: Analysis of Climate Risks and Household Response to Food Insecurity in Northern Ghana

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorPerkins, Patricia Elaine
dc.contributor.authorOsman, Balikisu
dc.date.accessioned2023-08-04T15:14:52Z
dc.date.available2023-08-04T15:14:52Z
dc.date.issued2023-08-04
dc.date.updated2023-08-04T15:14:52Z
dc.degree.disciplineEnvironmental Studies
dc.degree.levelDoctoral
dc.degree.namePhD - Doctor of Philosophy
dc.description.abstractGhana represents an important case study for food insecurity research because of the high concentration of hungry populations in the country’s north relative to the south. While the increasing climate change and weather variabilities in north Ghana explain the region’s widespread hunger, there are also non-climatic factors that undermine households’ vulnerability. This dissertation explores smallholder farming households’ experiences with climate hazard events by emphasizing their vulnerabilities and response behaviours to climate and seasonality-induced food insecurities. It adopts a micro-level food systems lens integrated with livelihoods, vulnerability, and disaster risk theories. It is also informed by fieldwork and engagement with farming households in northern Ghana. A key argument of this dissertation is that food insecurity in northern Ghana is influenced by not only the climate-dependency of food system activities in the region but also the vulnerability in how food is produced, harvested, stored, and marketed. The findings reveal that climate change events lead to food crop productivity losses, cause damage to stored grain, and disrupt food prices, which affects food security. It also shows how households’ and food systems’ vulnerabilities intensify these climatic impacts and the concomitant variations in yearly food availability and access. The study further finds that poor households are not passive victims; they strategically adopt various actions to manage climate-induced food insecurity risks. In particular, the households’ responses follow a sequential order to preserve critical assets for current consumption needs and for the sustainability of agricultural livelihood. However, some of the response actions are associated with excruciating costs that could rebound and erode efforts for sustainable food security, especially for women and youth. Overall, the research provides evidence-based knowledge to address climate-related challenges for food security in the northern part of the country and to minimize regional disparities, which have long-term political implications. It also makes a strong case to draw attention to the diversity, sequence, and gendered nature of household responses to food crises.
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10315/41353
dc.languageen
dc.rightsAuthor owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.
dc.subjectClimate change
dc.subjectAgriculture economics
dc.subjectSub Saharan Africa studies
dc.subject.keywordsClimate change
dc.subject.keywordsFood security
dc.subject.keywordsRisks
dc.subject.keywordsFood systems
dc.subject.keywordsSmallholder farming
dc.subject.keywordsHousehold responses
dc.subject.keywordsNorthern Ghana
dc.titleSecurity in Uncertainty: Analysis of Climate Risks and Household Response to Food Insecurity in Northern Ghana
dc.typeElectronic Thesis or Dissertation

Files

Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
Osman_Balikisu_2023_PhD.pdf
Size:
2.24 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.87 KB
Format:
Plain Text
Description:
Download
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
YorkU_ETDlicense.txt
Size:
3.39 KB
Format:
Plain Text
Description:
Download

Collections

Environmental Studies

All items in the YorkSpace institutional repository are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved except where explicitly noted.