ABSTRACT

Although flooding has become a major threat in cities around the world, research on climate adaptation in African cities remains extremely limited. In particular, an understanding of the nonstructural measures that focus on mitigation and especially adaptation is essential to develop. This CityLab research engaged a flood-prone community in Ghana to contribute to the development of a community resilience framework (CRF) for implementing community-based flood-risk management initiatives. Analysing the level of awareness of the Sepe-Buokrom community to current flood-risk management issues, the research also aimed to understand what needs to be done amongst all stakeholders to proactively and collectively build a ‘resilience spirit’ towards flood hazards. Using a co-production process of engagement, three key themes emerged: 1) leadership, 2) community responsibility, and 3) loyalty, commitment, and togetherness. Our research thus found that it is indeed possible to achieve a shift in the way we conduct research with communities (from research subjects to equal partners in knowledge production), and that such a shift is in fact necessary in the field of climate adaptation as a way to influence decision-makers and bridge the gap between research and policy in Africa.