Tackling climate change video transcript

Dr Sian Davies-Vollum

Hello, I'm Dr Sian Davies-Vollum, Head of the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Derby, and I'm here as part of a research project in coastal Ghana where we're looking at the impacts of climate and environmental change on local communities, and we're working together to figure out ways communities can adapt to situations such as sea level rise, changes in precipitation, changes in water quality.

[A large group of Ghanaian school children in uniform, boys in shorts and shirts, girls in dresses and shirts. Dr Sian Davies-Vollum, Dr Deb Raha and Daniel Koomson are beside the children and school staff]

[A sandy beach leading to a lagoon with a hill in the background]

All these things that impact the environment and how we can improve the livelihood of the people that have to deal with these changes.

Daniel Koomson

Hi, my name is Daniel Koomson, I'm a PhD student in the School of Environmental Sciences at the University of Derby. I'm currently conducting research in the coastline of Ghana, trying to understand how communities that are involved in beach seining on the coast of Ghana are adapting to climate change.

[Sea water runs into a lagoon through a gap in the sand bar]

First how they are being impacted by climate and environmental change, and the kind of adaptation strategies that they're coming up with, and also to explore scale up management and strategies that will make them more resilient to climate and environmental change.

Dr Deb Raha

Hi, I'm Dr Deb Raha, I'm lecturer in human and developmental geography at the School of Environmental Sciences, this is my first visit to Africa and to Ghana, and I'm absolutely loving it.

[Palm trees on a sandbar surrounded by water in a coastal lagoon area]

My role in research is to look at how the local community are adapting strategies to adapt and to live along with the climate change that's affecting their lives. We're working with householders, men and women, and the local institutional actors to think of possible future potential that we can implement. As one first commission officer said we always tell them don't, don't, don't, but it'll be good to identify things that we can say do, do, do.