Climate-Induced Rural–Urban Migration, Informal Settlement Expansion, and the Governance of Urban Resilience in Kumasi, Ghana.

Abstract

Ghana is witnessing a growing trend of people moving from rural areas to cities, often driven by the challenges caused by climate change to traditional farming livelihoods. Unfortunately, many urban areas are not equipped to handle this arrival of migrants. This paper explores how this climateinduced rural-urban migration affects urban resilience in Ghana, focusing on the Greater Kumasi Metropolitan Area. It examines the role of informal settlements in shaping the experiences of migrants, particularly in relation to flooding, heat stress, and inadequate infrastructure. Additionally, it looks at how current governance strategies may either alleviate or worsen these challenges. The research draws on a wide range of sources, including peer-reviewed studies, national policy documents, and other relevant literature published mainly between 2018 and 2026. This analysis is framed through theories like Social-Ecological Systems thinking, Urban Political Ecology, and climate mobility theory. The findings suggest that migration to Kumasi is not simply a direct reaction to climate shocks. Instead, factors such as agricultural decline, land commercialization, and limited rural services push people toward the city, where low land prices tempt them to settle in areas prone to flooding and lack vegetation, such as Aboabo, Asawase, and Ahensan. These neighbourhoods often have inadequate infrastructure and are more susceptible to issues like flooding and urban heat, yet they frequently go unrecognised in urban planning discussions. While initiatives such as the National Climate Change Policy, the National Adaptation Plan, and the new National Urban Policy aim to strengthen resilience, they face significant challenges. Problems like fragmented institutional responsibilities, insufficient funding for adaptation measures, weak enforcement of planning rules, and a reliance on eviction rather than improving existing communities hinder progress. Ultimately, this paper argues that enhancing urban resilience in Kumasi centers not just on the act of migration itself, but on the governance decisions regarding where and how migrants are allowed to settle. The paper concludes with suggestions for more localized and migration-sensitive urban governance, emphasising that residents of informal settlements should be viewed as crucial partners in adaptation efforts, rather than merely as individuals to be relocated.