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Esi Buobasa

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

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

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

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