Evaluating the Impact of Social Protection Policies on Urban Climate Resilience in Ghana: A Comparative Analysis of Formal and Informal Settlements

Jessica Ports Robbins

March 17, 2026

• Michael Kpessa-Whyte, University of Ghana
• Michael Gameli Dziwornu, Institute for Scientific and Technological Information
• Fred Fosu Agyarko, Institute for Scientific and Technological Information

Summary:

This study examines the impact of Ghana’s Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) program on urban resilience across six neighborhoods in Accra. Using structural equation modelling with 229 respondents, we assessed LEAP’s effects on five resilience domains: built environment, governance, natural environment, risk reduction, and social cohesion. The sample was predominantly female (84.7%), middle-aged (40-60 years; 48.9%), with limited education and residing primarily in informal settlements (87.3%). Results reveal that LEAP participation significantly enhances all resilience dimensions (p<0.001). The strongest effect was on social cohesion (β=0.859), followed by built environment (β=0.765), risk reduction (β=0.724), natural environment (β=0.700), and governance (β=0.595). Gender-stratified analysis shows women benefit more in governance and infrastructure domains, while men report greater risk reduction. Settlement-type analysis demonstrates consistently stronger effects in formal areas compared to informal settlements, though both show significant improvements. Community-level variations indicate that while all neighborhoods benefit from LEAP, formal communities like Labone/La show higher infrastructure and environmental gains, whereas informal settlements like Agbogbloshie demonstrate strong governance and social cohesion improvements. These findings suggest that social cash transfers serve as multidimensional catalysts for urban resilience, with variations reflecting local conditions and demographic characteristics.