Contrasting change in Subjective and Objective Wellbeing in the Context of Spatio-temporal Environmental Change: A comparative case stud

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Wellbeing in lower-middle income countries is influenced by multiple social, economic, cultural, politicaland environmental factors. This project will specifically investigate the impacts of environmental changeupon both objective and subjective wellbeing in Volta Delta, Ghana. The former includes quantitativemeasures such as income, whereas the latter includes perceptions of happiness for example.Rural deltas are particularly vulnerable to environmental change due to their economic reliance onagricultural productivity, exposure to climatic shocks and restricted ability to adapt to changingconditions. As such, secondary data from the Deltas, Vulnerability and Climate Change: Migration andAdaption project will be utilised. The dataset incorporates self-reported variables relating to exposure andsensitivity to environmental hazards, as well as extensive data relating to both forms of wellbeing.Environmental variables will also be derived through remote sensing data to examine the influence ofchanging climates, land-use and road accessibility upon communities' wellbeing.Central to this project is the comparison between the responses of two wellbeing domains, objective andsubjective. By comparing the impacts of environmental change upon different wellbeing types, thisresearch can expand the understanding of what context-specific developments are most suitable fordifferent localities. This will be achieved by using advanced quantitative techniques to explore thedynamic relationships between objective and subjective wellbeing and environmental change over spaceand time. Fieldwork in Ghana will also be undertaken, including interviews and focus groups withgovernment personnel and community locals. This stage is vital in enriching quantitative results andunderstanding local context.