Evidence on the intersection of climate change, migration and vulnerability to modern slavery
Climate change further damages an already ecologically fragile area in the north of Ghana and negatively affects communities’ ability to grow crops. Extractive activities contribute to environmental degradation.
Droughts and floods cause food insecurity and unemployment, and a lack of opportunities forces young people to migrate to the centre or south of Ghana.
Young women in particular migrate to escape socio-cultural practices, such as forced marriage. This puts them in a vulnerable position, which traffickers and employers use to their advantage. Examples of forced marriage, forced labour, including debt bondage, and human trafficking have been identified. The systematic exploitation of young women as head porters (Kayayie) is an emerging phenomenon.
This source demonstrates how climate change heightens vulnerability to human trafficking, using examples from the Philippines, Bangladesh, the Caribbean Islands and Ghana. It notes that no systematic global analysis has been conducted to assess the impact of climate change on human trafficking.
View detail about Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (Ghana)
This source, drawing on research on Ghana and the Sundarbans region, shows how the negative effects of climate change force people into unsafe migration and increase their vulnerability to forced marriage, debt-bondage, forced labour and human trafficking. It explains how women and children who stay back are also at risk of modern slavery. Families use harmful traditional practices (such as forced marriage) to cope with the negative effects of climate change. Girls and young women who try to escape can be driven to take unsafe migration routes, increasing their exposure to modern slavery. Access to resources and information is key to improving people's resilient and ability to adapt to climate change.
View detail about Climate-induced Migration and Modern Slavery: a Toolkit for Policymakers (Ghana)
This report explores the link between modern slavery and natural resources in Ghana, specifically in the cocoa and gold mining value chains. It seeks to inform practice in the financial sector, in particular to address exposure to modern slavery. The report recognises the connections between climate change, environmental degradation and heightened vulnerability to modern slavery.