Enabling asset-based community development solutions: Pro-poor urban climate resilience in Kumasi, Ghana

Abstract

Cities of the Global South, such as Kumasi, Ghana, face elevated risks from climate change, and current adaptation efforts are failing. Ghanaian cities are beset by weak urban planning capacities and inadequate finance to contend with climate risks, with the poor being swept aside. Given that the urban poor are excluded from official climate interventions, coupled with the fact that weak institutional and stakeholder coordination presently exists, community-led approaches to climate change are critical in providing a minimum localised climate-specific capacity. A preliminary investigation of two largely established informal settlements in Kumasi assessed residents' and local planning authorities' sensitivities for community-led approaches to climate risks. Our research: (i) investigated perceptions of the nature and evidence of climate change; (ii) examined respective knowledge on the asset-based community development approach (ABCD); (iii) identified and examined the influence of the ABCD approach in building resilience to climate change impacts; and (iv) probed the challenges with its implementation in informal settlements. We surveyed 367 households, six governmental agencies and conducted focus group discussions for relevant data. Respondents demonstrated a good understanding of the most salient manifestations of climate change: flooding, heat, and drought events. The absence of formally recognised associations and the challenges associated with utilising community assets and households' high expectations for government aid impede ABCD pathways. We conclude that mainstreaming ABCD within urban planning and governance systems can be enhanced by emphasising the co-benefits, better alignment with a shared vision of climate adaptation and transitioning towards an inclusive urban planning future.