The Government of Ghana, through the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS), in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) through the multi-donor Coastal States Stability Mechanism (CSSM), has convened a national workshop on transhumance and farmer-herder relations.
The workshop, held on August 5, 2026, brought together national institutions, regional authorities, development partners, civil society organisations, implementing partners and technical experts to discuss practical approaches to improving the management of seasonal livestock mobility and strengthening peaceful coexistence between farming and pastoralist communities in northern Ghana.
Transhumance remains an essential source of livelihood for many communities in the region. However, increasing pressure on land and water resources, coupled with climate-related pressures and uneven implementation of local governance mechanisms, continues to heighten the risk of localised tensions.
Between June and November 2025, the IOM’s Transhumance Tracking Tool (TTT) recorded more than 4,200 transhumant herders and nearly 100,000 livestock moving along key corridors in the Upper East and Upper West Regions.
During the same period, the Early Warning system recorded more than 40 alerts, most of them linked to farmer-herder disputes, competition over grazing land and access to water.
The findings underscore the need for stronger evidence-based coordination and locally led prevention efforts.
The workshop provided an opportunity for national stakeholders to identify practical solutions and strengthen coordination among institutions responsible for managing transhumance.
Speaking on behalf of the National Security Coordinator, Major General Timothy Ba-Taa-Banah, Director of Ghana’s National Counter-Terrorism Fusion Centre, highlighted the importance of addressing multidimensional security challenges through preventive, whole-of-society approaches.
“The workshop demonstrates our collective commitment to safeguarding Ghana’s peace, strengthening national resilience and addressing emerging national security challenges through dialogue, partnership and evidence-based policymaking,” he said.
The discussions built on ongoing initiatives supporting more coordinated and evidence-informed management of transhumance in Ghana.
Through the Climate Change and Migration Data (CCMD) Programme and the Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM), IOM has generated evidence on seasonal mobility patterns using the Transhumance Tracking Tool.
The data provides insights into transhumance corridors, pastoral infrastructure and conflict hotspots in northern Ghana, supporting early warning, coordinated responses and informed decision-making by national and local authorities.
Complementing these efforts, the CSSM, as part of its integrated stabilisation work, has supported the development and gazetting of district-level bye-laws regulating livestock movement, land use and dispute resolution across selected districts in the Upper West Region.
The initiative is helping to establish locally owned frameworks for preventing and managing conflict.
Building on these initiatives, participants reviewed existing regulatory frameworks, discussed implementation challenges and explored practical ways to strengthen coordination among institutions while ensuring that local experiences continue to inform national policy.
“Data alone cannot prevent conflict, and policy alone cannot build peace. But when evidence, dialogue and collaboration come together, they become powerful tools for strengthening resilience and fostering peaceful coexistence,” said Fatou Diallo Ndiaye, Chief of Mission, IOM Ghana.
The discussions concluded with recommendations for a more inclusive and coordinated approach to farmer-herder relations, bringing together farmers, herders, livestock owners, traditional authorities, civil society and government actors.
As a next step, participants committed to sustaining dialogue, strengthening cross-district and cross-border collaboration, and enhancing coordination between Regional and District Security Councils through regular information sharing and joint response mechanisms.
The measures are expected to support the timely prevention and resolution of conflicts while addressing the transnational dynamics of transhumance.
The workshop was made possible through the Coastal States Stability Mechanism (CSSM), funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, as well as the Climate Change and Migration Data (CCMD) Programme, funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
