130 Int. J. Gender Studies in Developing Societies, Vol. 2, No. 2, 2017 Copyright © 2017 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd. Natural capital as a threat and resource: the survival of women in Bolni village in Northern Ghana Eunice Abbey Department of Applied Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, HJ 402, Hung Hom, Hong Kong Email: 14901974r@connect.polyu.hk Matthew Gmalifo Mabefam* School of Social and Political Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, 3010, Australia Email: mmabefam@student.unimelb.edu.au *Corresponding author Abstract: This study highlights the role of natural capital both as a resource and a threat to the survival of the women in Bolni village in the Northern part of Ghana. Amidst several challenges and being classified as one of the poorest villages in modern materialistic terms, the study reveals this village’s strength in natural capital which plays a vital role in the survival of the women. Assets such as lands and wild plants were used by the women for crop production, for medicinal purposes and other income generating activities to survive. Whilst natural capital serves as a vital resource in Bolni, there are many challenges that makes it a threat as well. The study indicates factors such as climate change, droughts and constant fire outbreaks that negatively affect crop production and destroy properties and consequently threaten the survival of the women. This notwithstanding the women are able to exhibit great resilience to survive. Adopting the qualitative research method, ten women were interviewed for this study. Keywords: natural capital; poor women; threat; resource; survival; Northern Ghana. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Abbey, E. and Mabefam, M.G. (2017) ‘Natural capital as a threat and resource: the survival of women in Bolni Village in Northern Ghana’, Int. J. Gender Studies in Developing Societies, Vol. 2, No. 2, pp.130–142. Biographical notes: Eunice Abbey is currently a full time PhD student in the Department of Applied Social Sciences at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She had her first degree in Social Work and Psychology at the University of Ghana and an MPhil program in Health Promotion and Development at the University of Bergen, Norway. Her research interests are in gender studies particularly on well-being and health promotion for women in rural settings. Prior to studying at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, she was actively involved in some social projects for rural women in Ghana.