Indigenous knowledge in climate change adaptation: Choice of indigenous adaptation responses to coastal erosion in Ghanaian communities

Coastal erosion as a threat to Ghana's coastline is being exacerbated by natural and anthropogenic processes. Adaptation to coastal erosion helps in managing the impacts and the levels of destruction to livelihoods, properties and investments along the coastline. Government intervention in adaptation to coastal erosion has always focused on the development of coastal sea defences without the integration of Indigenous knowledge and initiatives of coastal dwellers. This paper contributes to this gap by examining the Indigenous adaptation responses to coastal erosion in selected coastal communities of Ghana, factors influencing the choice of adaptation responses and the extent to which these Indigenous adaptation responses are addressing coastal erosion. Findings from the explorative qualitative study revealed that coastal dwellers are engaged in different forms of planned and reactive adaptation responses to coastal erosion. It was also found out that most of the Indigenous adaptation responses to coastal erosion were unsustainable in addressing coastal erosion and the choice of Indigenous adaptation response to coastal erosion was shaped by socio-economic and ecological factors or perception. Maladaptation responses by coastal dwellers were contributing to the phenomenon of coastal erosion. Coastal dwellers have survived the impacts of coastal erosion in the absence of support from central and local governments and their unsustainable adaptation responses have become a cyclical ritual over a period of time. The paper contributes to the debates on adaptation to climate change and the consideration of Indigenous knowledge into climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies in coastal zone planning and management.