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

Wellbeing in lower-middle income countries is influenced by multiple social, economic, cultural, political
and environmental factors. This project will specifically investigate the impacts of environmental change
upon both objective and subjective wellbeing in Volta Delta, Ghana. The former includes quantitative
measures 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 on
agricultural productivity, exposure to climatic shocks and restricted ability to adapt to changing
conditions. As such, secondary data from the Deltas, Vulnerability and Climate Change: Migration and
Adaption project will be utilised. The dataset incorporates self-reported variables relating to exposure and
sensitivity 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 of
changing climates, land-use and road accessibility upon communities' wellbeing.
Central to this project is the comparison between the responses of two wellbeing domains, objective and
subjective. By comparing the impacts of environmental change upon different wellbeing types, this
research can expand the understanding of what context-specific developments are most suitable for
different localities. This will be achieved by using advanced quantitative techniques to explore the
dynamic relationships between objective and subjective wellbeing and environmental change over space
and time. Fieldwork in Ghana will also be undertaken, including interviews and focus groups with
government personnel and community locals. This stage is vital in enriching quantitative results and
understanding local context.