Esi Buobasa (Fuveme, Ghana) is a Ghanaian fishmonger, environmental migrant, and climate activist.[1]

Esi Buobasa
Known forCommunity activism, climate activism
Awards100 Women (BBC)

In 2023, Buobasa was distinguished as one of the most influential women in the world according to the 100 Women (BBC) for her efforts to build resilience against climate change.[2][3]

Career edit

Buobasa was born and raised in Fuveme, a coastal village near Keta.[3] Between 2000 and 2010, the territory, located between Keta Lagoon and the Gulf of Guinea, eroded to practically a thin line of sand due to the rising sea level.[4][5][6] The town also is periodically flooded by the Volta River.[6]

The loss of buildings and increasingly frequent cycloans and floods forced Buobasa, a fisherman, with her husband and five children,[3] to migrate inland and recreate their lives.[6][7] However, this deprived the family of their main source of income: fishing.[8]

To mitigate the socioeconomic impacts of the environmental migration, Buobasa founded an association to support female fishermen in her circumstance.[1][3] The alliance sought to train them for other jobs and provide economic recovery.[3][7] It also provided a resistance fund to finance damage or loss of income due to further storms or climate disaster.[8] Buobasa's leadership led to her inclusion in BBC's 2023 list of 100 Women (BBC).[1][7][8]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c Agbetiloye, Adekunle (24 November 2023). "Meet the 13 African women named among BBC 100 women in 2023". Business Insider Africa. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Ghana's coastal erosion: The village buried in sand". BBC News. 2016-05-11.
  3. ^ a b c d e GNA (2023-11-24). "Esi Buobasa, native of Fuveme, among BBC's 100 most influential women". Ghana News Agency. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  4. ^ Appeaning Addo, K.; Brempong, E. K.; Jayson-Quashigah, P. N. (2020-05-25). "Assessment of the dynamics of the Volta river estuary shorelines in Ghana". Geoenvironmental Disasters. 7 (1): 19. Bibcode:2020GeoDi...7...19A. doi:10.1186/s40677-020-00151-1. ISSN 2197-8670.
  5. ^ Naadi, Thomas (May 12, 2016). "Ghana's coastal erosion: The village buried in sand". BBC Africa.
  6. ^ a b c "Climate change drowning West African coastline – DW – 07/22/2022". dw.com. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  7. ^ a b c "BBC 100 Women 2023: Who is on the list this year? - BBC News". News. Retrieved 2024-02-09.
  8. ^ a b c The women at the forefront of the climate battle - BBC 100 Women, BBC World Service, retrieved 2024-02-09