Farming under Urban Pressure: Stressors, Adaptive Strategies and Municipal Support for Urban Agriculture in Wa Municipality, Ghana

Abstract

Keywords

References

1. Abdoulaye, T., Bamire, A. S., Akinola, A. A., & Etwire, P. M. (2017). Smallholder farmers’ perceptions and strategies for adaptation to climate change in Brong Ahafo and Upper West Regions of Ghana. CCAFS Working Paper No. 207. CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), Wageningen, the Netherlands. https://cgspace.cgiar.org/handle/10568/82601 [Google Scholar]
2. Abdulai, I. A. (2024). Emergent neo-customary land tenure and non-indigene smallholders’ access to farmlands in peri-urban Ghana. Discover Sustainability, 5, 70. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00258-7 [Google Scholar]
3. Abdulai, I. A., Kuusaana, E. D., & Ahmed, A. (2025). Toward sustainable urbanization: Understanding the dynamics of urban sprawl and food (in)security of indigenous households in peri-urban Wa, Ghana. Journal of Urban Affairs, 47(4), 1371–1396. https://doi.org/10.1080/07352166.2023.2224023 [Google Scholar]
4. Adger, W. N. (2010). Social capital, collective action, and adaptation to climate change. In M. Voss (Ed.), Der Klimawandel (pp. 327–345). VS Verlag für Sozialwissenschaften. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-531-92258-4_19 [Google Scholar]
5. Ahmed, A., Korah, P. I., Dongzagla, A., Nunbogu, A. M., Niminga-Beka, R., et al. (2020). City profile: Wa, Ghana. Cities, 97, 102524. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2019.102524 [Google Scholar]
6. Azunre, G. A., Amponsah, O., Peprah, C., Takyi, S. A., & Braimah, I. (2019). A review of the role of urban agriculture in the sustainable city discourse. Cities, 93, 104–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2019.04.006 [Google Scholar]
7. Below, T. B., Mutabazi, K. D., Kirschke, D., Franke, C., Sieber, S., et al. (2012). Can farmers’ adaptation to climate change be explained by socio-economic household-level variables? Global Environmental Change, 22(1), 223–235. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.11.012 [Google Scholar]
8. Bolang, P. D., & Osumanu, I. K. (2019). Formal sector workers’ participation in urban agriculture in Ghana: Perspectives from the Wa Municipality. Heliyon, 5(8), e02230. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02230 [Google Scholar]
9. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa [Google Scholar]
10. Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2022). Conceptual and design thinking for thematic analysis. Qualitative Psychology, 9(1), 3–26. https://doi.org/10.1037/qup0000196 [Google Scholar]
11. Brooks, N., Adger, W. N., & Kelly, P. M. (2005). The determinants of vulnerability and adaptive capacity at the national level and the implications for adaptation. Global Environmental Change, 15(2), 151–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2004.12.006 [Google Scholar]
12. Byrne, D. (2022). A worked example of Braun and Clarke’s approach to reflexive thematic analysis. Quality & Quantity, 56(3), 1391–1412. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-021-01182-y [Google Scholar]
13. Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). SAGE Publications. [Google Scholar]
14. Crowe, S., Cresswell, K., Robertson, A., Huby, G., Avery, A., et al. (2011). The case study approach. BMC Medical Research Methodology, 11, 100. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-11-100 [Google Scholar]
15. Davies, J., Hannah, C., Guido, Z., Zimmer, A., McCann, L., et al. (2021). Barriers to urban agriculture in Sub-Saharan Africa. Food Policy, 103, 101999. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2020.101999 [Google Scholar]
16. de Oliveira, J. A. P., & Ahmed, A. (2021). Governance of urban agriculture in African cities: Gaps and opportunities for innovation in Accra, Ghana. Journal of Cleaner Production, 312, 127730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.127730 [Google Scholar]
17. DeJonckheere, M., & Vaughn, L. M. (2019). Semistructured interviewing in primary care research: A balance of relationship and rigour. Family Medicine and Community Health, 7(2), e000057. https://doi.org/10.1136/fmch-2018-000057 [Google Scholar]
18. Derbile, E. K., Chirawurah, D., & Naab, F. X. (2022). Vulnerability of smallholder agriculture to environmental change in North-Western Ghana and implications for development planning. Climate and Development, 14(1), 39–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/17565529.2021.1881423 [Google Scholar]
19. Dongzagla, A., Baddianaah, I., Avogo, F. A., & Tengbane, J. (2023). Conformity of filling stations to safe distance guidelines in urban Ghana: A case study of the Wa Municipality. Cogent Social Sciences, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.1080/23311886.2023.2282473 [Google Scholar]
20. Engle, N. L. (2011). Adaptive capacity and its assessment. Global Environmental Change, 21(2), 647–656. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2011.01.019 [Google Scholar]
21. Fedele, G., Donatti, C. I., Harvey, C. A., Hannah, L., & Hole, D. G. (2019). Transformative adaptation to climate change for sustainable social-ecological systems. Environmental Science & Policy, 101, 116–125. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2019.07.001 [Google Scholar]
22. Ghana Statistical Service (GSS). (2021). 2021 Population and housing census: General report volume 3A—Population of regions and districts. Ghana Statistical Service. [Google Scholar]
23. Hodbod, J., & Eakin, H. (2015). Adapting a social-ecological resilience framework for food systems. Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, 5(3), 474–484. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13412-015-0280-6 [Google Scholar]
24. Iddrisu, H., & Sumani, J. B. B. (2026). An investigation into the spatiotemporal dynamics of land use change in Wa Municipality, Ghana. Discover Environment, 4, 380. https://doi.org/10.1007/s44274-026-00912-z [Google Scholar]
25. Kallio, H., Pietilä, A. M., Johnson, M., & Kangasniemi, M. (2016). Systematic methodological review: Developing a framework for a qualitative semi-structured interview guide. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 72(12), 2954–2965. https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13031 [Google Scholar]
26. Kates, R. W., Travis, W. R., & Wilbanks, T. J. (2012). Transformational adaptation when incremental adaptations to climate change are insufficient. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(19), 7156–7161. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1115521109 [Google Scholar]
27. Kuusaana, E. D. (2022). Customary land governance dynamics and its implications for shea tenure and ecology in selected peri-urban communities in Ghana. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 6, 1033523. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2022.1033523 [Google Scholar]
28. Malterud, K., Siersma, V. D., & Guassora, A. D. (2016). Sample size in qualitative interview studies: Guided by information power. Qualitative Health Research, 26(13), 1753–1760. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049732315617444 [Google Scholar]
29. Mougeot, L. J. A. (2000). Urban agriculture: Definition, presence, potentials and risks, and policy challenges. Cities Feeding People Series, Report No. 31. International Development Research Centre. [Google Scholar]
30. Naazie, G. K., Agyemang, I., & Tampah-Naah, A. M. (2024). Our cities, our farm lands: The socioeconomic determinants of urban households participation in urban agricultural production under climatic stressors. Heliyon, 10(16), e35539. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e35539 [Google Scholar]
31. Natarajan, N., Newsham, A., Rigg, J., & Suhardiman, D. (2022). A sustainable livelihoods framework for the 21st century. World Development, 155, 105898. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.worlddev.2022.105898 [Google Scholar]
32. Nchanji, E. B. (2017). Sustainable urban agriculture in Ghana: What governance system works? Sustainability, 9(11), 2090. https://doi.org/10.3390/su9112090 [Google Scholar]
33. Nchanji, E. B., & Bellwood-Howard, I. (2018). Governance in urban and peri-urban vegetable farming in Tamale, Northern Ghana. Land Use Policy, 73, 205–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.landusepol.2018.01.011 [Google Scholar]
34. Nelson, D. R., Adger, W. N., & Brown, K. (2007). Adaptation to environmental change: Contributions of a resilience framework. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 32, 395–419. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.energy.32.051807.090348 [Google Scholar]
35. Orsini, F., Kahane, R., Nono-Womdim, R., & Gianquinto, G. (2013). Urban agriculture in the developing world: A review. Agronomy for Sustainable Development, 33(4), 695–720. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13593-013-0143-z [Google Scholar]
36. Poulsen, M. N., McNab, P. R., Clayton, M. L., & Neff, R. A. (2015). A systematic review of urban agriculture and food security impacts in low-income countries. Food Policy, 55, 131–146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2015.07.002 [Google Scholar]
37. Salifu, A. M. A. (2022). Assessing farmers livelihood adaptation strategies due to climate change in Upper West Region of Ghana. International Journal of Development and Sustainability, 11(4), 114–127. [Google Scholar]
38. Smit, B., & Wandel, J. (2006). Adaptation, adaptive capacity and vulnerability. Global Environmental Change, 16(3), 282–292. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2006.03.008 [Google Scholar]
39. Smit, W. (2016). Urban governance and urban food systems in Africa: Examining the linkages. Cities, 58, 80–86. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cities.2016.05.001 [Google Scholar]
40. Stewart, R., Korth, M., Langer, L., Rafferty, S., Da Silva, N. R., et al. (2013). What are the impacts of urban agriculture programs on food security in low and middle-income countries? Environmental Evidence, 2, 7. https://doi.org/10.1186/2047-2382-2-7 [Google Scholar]
41. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UN DESA). (2019). World urbanization prospects: The 2018 revision. United Nations. [Google Scholar]
42. United Nations. (2018). 68% of the world population projected to live in urban areas by 2050, says UN. United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. [Google Scholar]
43. Vidal Merino, M., Gajjar, S. P., Subedi, A., Polgar, A., & Van Den Hoof, C. (2021). Resilient governance regimes that support urban agriculture in Sub-Saharan cities: Learning from local challenges. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 5, 692167. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2021.692167 [Google Scholar]
44. Yohe, G., & Tol, R. S. J. (2002). Indicators for social and economic coping capacity—Moving toward a working definition of adaptive capacity. Global Environmental Change, 12(1), 25–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0959-3780(01)00026-7 [Google Scholar]
45. Zezza, A., & Tasciotti, L. (2010). Urban agriculture, poverty, and food security: Empirical evidence from a sample of developing countries. Food Policy, 35(4), 265–273. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodpol.2010.04.007 [Google Scholar]
46. Ziem Bonye, S., Yenglier Yiridomoh, G., & Derbile, E. K. (2021). Urban expansion and agricultural land use change in Ghana: Implications for peri-urban farmer household food security in Wa Municipality. International Journal of Urban Sustainable Development, 13(2), 383–399. https://doi.org/10.1080/19463138.2021.1915790 [Google Scholar]