Esi Buobasa | |
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Known for | Community activism, climate activism |
Awards | 100 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]
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]