Understanding the Nexus Between Climate Change and Farmer-Herder Conflicts in the Semi-Arid Region of Ghana

Unpacking how climate change exacerbates rather than causes farmer-herder conflicts requires a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of influence. This study seeks to document the circumstances under which climate change influences farmer-herder conflicts, adaptation practices, and peacebuilding approaches towards co-existence. The political ecology analytical approach was used to synthesise the different socio-political and ecological implications of reconciling the socio-cultural narratives with the agroecological factors of farmer- herder conflicts. The study found that climate change influences farmer-herder conflicts through changes in weather, food and water availability, mobility patterns, and the spread of diseases, pushing herders to adapt strategies that set the pace for farmer-herder conflicts. These adaptations include seasonal migration across complementary ecological zones along the frontiers of farmlands and grazing at night that tends to vandalise farms. The results build on the ongoing argument that climate change would rather exacerbate pre-existing tensions than being a direct cause of climate change. Both Fulani herders and farmers expressed willingness to coexist as they employed varied peacebuilding mechanisms to settle disputes. The above findings have implications for the ongoing national policy dialogue on reducing farmer-herder conflicts in Ghana as they inform discussions on socially acceptable ways of addressing them.