Exploring the intersection of climate change, water security and gender equity

In a region of northern Ghana, women vegetable farmers using small-scale irrigation techniques are earning approximately 76 per cent — or $987 per hectare — less than their male counterparts.

Why?

Dr. Sabine Liebenehm (PhD), assistant professor in the College of Agriculture and Bioresources at the University of Saskatchewan (USask), said data provided by a West African scholar explains what is going on.

“We found that this gender productivity gap is mostly due to the level of resources, specifically access to quality land in proximity to water sources and homes,” said Liebenehm.

“The scholar observed on the ground that women would always choose plots relatively close to their households for practical reasons — household chores and family responsibilities — whereas men could choose those plots that are close to a river or maybe a dugout so they can use pumps.”

Men also have more capital to invest in better technology, such as pumps, whereas women must manage with manual irrigation techniques.

The story is an example of useful, real information that helps inform a wider project led by Liebenehm: investigating the intersection of climate change, water security and gender equality.

Liebenehm, originally from the Thüringen region of Germany, earned her master’s and PhD degrees from Leibniz University Hannover. She came to USask in 2019 and, having achieved tenure, plans to stay.

Issues facing rural and remote regions always lie at the heart of her research.

“When I started to work in the field of agriculture and development economics for my master’s and my PhD, and throughout my post-doctoral time, I have applied a bottom-up approach, where I spend time in the field, trying to understand what is happening on the ground.”

At the core of her work is adaptation to climate change, which intersects with issues like water security and the disproportionate impact these challenges have on women and girls.

Her present project, which began in March 2021 and is funded through Universities Canada, the Rideau Hall Foundation, and the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) for this Queen Elizabeth Scholars (QES) project focusing on international collaboration.

The project looks to enhance research capacity related to water security and gender equity while facilitating an exchange between West African and Canadian scholars, including USask, where they work on research, professional and leadership skills through community engagement activities and exchanges with policy and industry decision-makers.

Liebenehm and her colleagues evaluate water security for productive use — mainly agriculture — as well as domestic use, including access to safe water, sanitation, wastewater management and health-related issues.

“The goal of the project was to develop sustainable water management strategies for water security and climate-resilient agriculture systems for food security, as well as safe water, sanitation, and wastewater management for families’ health,” Liebenehm said. “From an economic perspective, we’re also looking at safe income opportunities for a diversified livelihood portfolio, including migratory responses to environmental change.

“In the northern areas of Ghana, climate change appears to drive women’s migration from northern rural areas to southern urban centres during the dry season in search of work. These women often face labour exploitation, unsafe housing, and gender-based violence. It is, however, not well understood under what circumstances climate change increases or decreases the migratory response among women, and what the consequences of these responses are.”

Liebenehm has attracted seven scholars from Ghana, Burkina Faso and Togo and they’ve all been an integral part of the project and collaborate at conferences, leadership programs and presentations.  

While the West African scholars bring a host of knowledge, observations, data and perspective about their own regions, Saskatchewan also benefits from the research project.

“It is about building research capacity for us here in Saskatchewan in connection with scholars from West Africa,” Liebenehm said. “The idea is to have long-term partnerships across sites as the initiative involves mentorships and peer-to-peer learning activities. I have learned so much from their perspective.”

The scholars also work with non-academic institutions in Saskatchewan and Ontario — for example, Fertilizer Canada, Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds, and the North Saskatchewan River Basin Council, Liebenehm explained.

While engaged with these organizations, they can see the agriculture and water management issues here, as well.

“For example, for the Saskatchewan Association of Watersheds, scholars are using data from the Prairie Watershed Climate Program to understand farmers’ best management practices related to nitrogen management, cover cropping and rotational grazing.

“At the end of the day, we realize our challenges are more connected than they seem,” Liebenehm added. “The circumstances may vary, but the underlying drivers of adoption decisions remain remarkably similar.”

By building a global network of scholars equipped to analyze these issues, she hopes to uncover meaningful solutions.

The Canadian Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarships (QES) is managed through a unique partnership of Universities Canada, the Rideau Hall Foundation (RHF), and Canadian universities. The QES-AS-West Africa project is made possible with financial support from IDRC.