When Rhetoric Meets Reality: Attitudinal Change and Coastal Zone Management in Ghana

Abstract

The current poor state of coastal natural resources in Ghana has been attributed to pressures largely from anthropogenic sources, as well as to the negative attitudes of resource users. In order to facilitate attitudinal change educational programmes have focused on the linear model of behaviour, where an awareness of environmental problems is thought to lead to positive environmental behaviour. This paper presents the results of a study of the environmental attitudes of some coastal residents and the socio-economic milieu in which these attitudes are expressed. The results indicated that (1) majority of the respondents lacked access to basic infrastructure, (2) their main environmental concerns were linked to their desire for better living conditions, (3) they have generally positive environmental attitudes and (4) their positive environmental attitudes did not translate to good environmental behaviour because of factors mentioned in (1) and (2). The paper recommends the consideration of environmental and socio-economic concerns of resource users, which influence behavioural intentions during the policy-making processes.