Land abandonment after land grabbing: exploring the implications for local climate change adaptation and ecological restoration in Ghana

Over the last two decades, the biofuel boom for climate mitigation, energy security, and socio-economic development has triggered large-scale land acquisitions (LSLAs) and land grabbing in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, several of these LSLAs and land grab deals have failed, leading to large-scale land abandonments. In rural SSA, land is a primary asset for climate change adaptation because it enables income and livelihood generation thereby improving adaptive capacity. However, land abandonment raises critical issues for climate adaptation. Drawing on empirical data from household surveys and interviews, this paper explores the implications of land abandonment on local adaptation and ecological restoration in Ghana. It was found that land abandonment can positively influence climate mitigation through ecological restoration for carbon sequestration, and negatively influence adaptation through loss of employment and income by lowering the adaptive capacities of households. These mechanisms are embedded in broader socio-economic and political processes that can be addressed through policy instruments securing land rights to boost adaptive capacity for climate adaptation after land abandonment.