Centering the Unquantifiable Costs of Climate Adaptation: The Case of Rural Migrations in Ghana

Standard

March 13, 2025: IRES Faculty Seminar with Dr. Jemima Baada

Centering the Unquantifiable Costs of Climate Adaptation: The Case of Rural Migrations in Ghana

Time: 12:30pm to 1:20pm

Location: Henry Angus Building Room 347.  (2053 Main Mall) 

No foods and no drinks in Henry Angus Room 347

Available on Zoom

Talk summary:

Climate-related migrations are often portrayed as either a failure to adapt or a successful adaptation strategy, and narratives of ‘successful’ adaptation tend to prioritise economic outcomes (e.g., labour and livelihood sustenance). While not discounting the significance of economic markers, what often gets lost in discussions of adaptive climate migration is the unquantifiable cost of such coping and survival strategies. Drawing from migrations within Ghana, this presentation shares the voices of rural dwellers regarding their experiences of ‘adaptive’ climate migration. I show how the loss of family and community, emotional burden of adjusting to new spaces in sending and receiving areas, and the loss of ancestral ties, impact climate-affected mobile communities. I highlight the importance of going beyond economic outcomes as markers of successful adaptive migration, to consider more fully the quality of life and wellbeing of individuals and communities.

  Dr. Jemima BaadaAssistant Professor UBC Geography

Bio:

I am an interdisciplinary climate-migration scholar, and my research and teaching are at the intersections of gender, climate change, migration, health and development equity.

My teaching focuses on how gendered structures, geopolitical and sociocultural relations, climate change and ongoing development practices affect the lives of migrants, non-migrants and return-migrants in diverse rural and urban contexts, and how to create inclusive opportunities for these groups. Similarly, my research uses a gendered lens to examine how diversely situated individuals and groups are affected by climate change, development processes, health inequalities and migration in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and other parts of the world. I am particularly interested in learning about the experiences of rural dwellers, women and those whose livelihoods depend on environmental/natural resources (e.g., farmers). I am also interested in understanding how factors such as gender, climate-vulnerability and migration status may act as social determinants of health.

Graduate Instructional Skills Workshop (ISW)

Standard

The Grad ISW is a 24-hour fully participatory , and peer-based professional development workshop for graduate students that is beneficial to both new and experiences instructors. The next workshop offered will be on April 15, 19, 20 & 26th 2025. The application portal opens on March 3rd at 9am and closes on April 12 at 5:30pm. By clicking the link please note that you are applying for the waitlist only and this does not register you for the workshop.

Friedman Award for Scholars in Health

Standard

This award is open to any UBC student graduate student or medical resident studying the area of health. ‘Health’ is interpreted very broadly in this case. Awards will be granted of up to 50,000$ each for 6-12 months of study outside of Western Canada. For Further information about this award opportunity, including eligibility requirements and application procedures click the link. Application deadline: March 21 2025 at 4pm PST.