ghanaopendata/ghanaian-research-english huggingface dataset:
Land Tenure and Sustainable Livelihoods in the Lawra District, Ghana

Land is the mainstay of human’s life; from it man depends for his survival. It comprises the earth surface, what is below it and what is above it. All the legal rights, be they contractual or customary, that guide the ownership and use of land is referred to as the land tenure system. Land tenure system is a major determinant of sustainable livelihoods — it is a guide to land accessibility and the uses to which the land could be put to. Lawra district has an economy that predominantly relies on agriculture for its sustenance. The main objective of this study is therefore to assess the land tenure system in the district and how it affects the livelihoods of the people. Recommendations are then suggested on how to sustainably maximise the benefits from the use of the land. The cross sectional model, which collects data at a single point in time was used to collect the data. The results of the research show that land in the district was in the hands of the ‘tendana’ who alienated it to various family/clan heads. These family/clan heads have also divided the land among the various households who now exercise absolute control over the land. The ‘tendana’ is now just a ceremonial custodian of the land but he does not interfere in dealings concerning the land unless it is what he retained for himself. Chiefs play very minimal role in land matters. It also came out clear that anybody could have access to land through inheritance, purchase or gift. Sale of land is common in the towns, whilst in the villages it is still maintained that land is not for sale, perhaps because no one has made the offer to buy. It was however realized that formal documentation of titles to land is not done because the land delivery agencies do not operate in the district and those that do are not efficient enough. The land is basically used for farming and building purposes. Land was however 4nd to be limited in supply and highly fragmented, which do not encourage commercial farming. Yields too are declining because the land keeps reducing in both size and fertility and also because of low adoption to improved cultural practices. Sustainable livelihoods in the district are therefore seriously threatened. Formation of cooperatives to pool their resources together and also take advantage of financial s and other training from both governmental and non-governmental agencies is recommended. It is also suggested that land securitization be introduced to attract other investors to come in and use the land without necessarily selling out the land so that the future generation still benefit from it. Again, titles to land should be perfected to boost prospective investors’ confidence and also forestall the occurrence of land problems that bedevilled land management in the cities. Agriculture should also be modernized and irrigational facilities be provided to make use of the Black Volta and also encourage all year farming. These suggestions would help manage the land sustainably and also help boost yields which would go a long way to make livelihoods sustainable in the district.

Source: KNUST
Land use and cover changes in the Mampong Municipality of the Ashanti Region

The land use and cover pattern of a region is an outcome of natural and anthropogenic processes. Land use and land cover change have become a central component of current strategies in managing natural resources and monitoring environmental changes. The present study was carried out with an integrated approach using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques together with socio-economic data for land cover change detection. Landsat images of 1991, 2001 and 2009 imagery were used to evaluate land cover to quantify land use changes of the Mampong Municipality by using GIS and remote sensing techniques. The aims of the study were to create a land use land cover classification scheme, determine the trend, rate and magnitude of land use land cover change and to show the extent of forest cover and settlement using image overlays by the process known as image mosaicing, and finally, evaluate the socio-economic factors that drive land use changes. Supervised classification was used to prepare land use maps. Image classification was carried out by emphasizing four main categories. Ground verification was done in January, 2014 followed with questionnaire survey in April. The study revealed that there is a net decrease in forest cover from 1991 to 2009. In between 1991 and 2001, the forest cover rapidly decreased from 44% of the total land mass of the Municipality to 26.7%, and a steady decrease to 24.18% in 2009. Settlement jumped exponentially from 3.1% in 1991 to 23.2% in 2001 and further increased sharply to 37.96%. Farmlands appreciated by 1.5% from the initial 24.4% in 2001 and a drastic decrease to 13.68% in 2009.Grassland was reduced by 4.3% from the initial 28.5% in 2001 and marginally decreased by 0.02% in 2009.The overall accuracy of the map was 80%.Suggestions were made at the end of the work on ways in which land can be used optimally, and going forward there is the need for more precise and spatially congruent data, so that there could be harmony between resources and the local users.

Source: KNUST
Land Use and Land Cover Changes in the Owabi Reservoir Catchment, Ghana: Implications for Livelihoods and Management

Reservoir catchments in Ghana have undergone significant changes in recent years with major implications for socio-economic development and local livelihoods. We studied land use and land cover changes and their impacts on livelihoods in the Owabi reservoir catchment from 1970 to 2014 using Landsat, ERDAS Imagine and Arc Geographic Information System (ArcGIS 10.2) software supplemented with participatory approaches including focus group discussions, key informant interviews and questionnaire surveys with 400 households. Our results showed that, since 1970, 24.6% of high-density forests and 15.8% of sparse forests have disappeared, while the built-up areahas increased from 9.8% to 56.6%. Additionally, the proportion of bare soil (areas that do not have vegetation cover due to forest clearing and other anthropogenic activities) has increased, while the areas of waterbodies have declined. We identified urbanisation and lack of community involvement in catchment management as the key factors driving the land cover changes that have adversely affected the livelihoods of the local fringe communities. This study highlights the threats from urbanisation to land cover changes and identifies the key drivers of land use change. For effective and sustainable management of natural resources, the local communities should be more actively involved in the decision-making process regarding the management of their individual catchments.

Source: KNUST
Land use and land cover changes implications on biodiversity in the Owabi catchment of Atwima Nwabiagya North District, Ghana

This paper examined land use and land cover (LULC) change and implications to biodiversity in the Owabi catchment of Atwima Nwabiagya North District in Ghana from 1991 to 2021 using remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS), with participatory methods such as interviews and questionnaires with a sample size of 200 participants. The use of supervised classification with maximum likelihood algorithm in QGIS was employed to generate LULC maps of 1991, 2001, 2011, and 2021. Molusce Plugin in QGIS was applied to predict probabilities of LULC changes in 10 years (2021–2031). The results showed that high-density forest has disappeared from 1991 to 2021 while built-up has increased and remained the most dominant LULC from 2011 to 2021. There is a continual decline in the number of plant and animal species in and around the Owabi catchment. This can be attributed to the decline of high-density forests and increased built-up in the study area through human actions. The study identified the influence of human activities as the key forces of LULC change to biodiversity loss. This problem stemmed from the taste for housing and trading activities in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area which has resulted in an increasing demand for settlement because of its closeness to Kumasi and its environs. The study recommends that stringent preventive measures should be developed and enforced by various stakeholders including the Forestry Commission, Ghana Water Company Limited, Environmental Protection Agency, as well as the District/Municipal Assemblies to safeguard the forest from human activities. This recommendation will help these agencies to keep abreast with changes in LULC in the various communities and factors such as changes during the planning of the communities.

Source: KNUST
Land use land cover change and environmental implications of quarrying on Buoho township and surrounding communities – A remote sensing approach

Rapid expansion of quarrying activities within Buoho Township and its surrounding communities has generated enormous socio-economic development at the expense of damage to biodiversity needed to create a balanced environment. The ensuing noise levels generated from blasting and other quarrying activities cause great discomfort and environmental hazard to the exposed population. This study sought to assess Land Use Land Cover Change (LULCC) that has occurred on Buoho Township and its surrounding communities and subsequent observation of noise related impacts from blasting and other quarrying activities on residents within the exposed communities. Land Change Modeler (LCM) technique was used to carry out LULCC detection of three multi-temporal Landsat images of the years, 1986, 2003 and 2014. This enabled changes that have occurred within a 28 year period to be assessed. Field observations of blast and ambient noise levels at distant locations were also measured. The results revealed a distinct change in bare land and urban space of an annual rate of change of 84% and 44% respectively. Rock outcrop increased steadily at a rate of 2% however, both forest and pasture space were converted to bare land, rock outcrop and urban space showing a decline of 3% rate of change within the period under study. Results from field exploratory blast measurements indicated a decline in noise levels as distance increased from the blast generating point. The highest and lowest blast noise levels recorded were 121.2 dBA and 92.4 dBA at distances of 203m and 1340 m respectively. Social survey results within the study area showed 17% of respondents always experienced noise related effects, while 50% rarely experienced these conditions. Correlation coefficient between the field exploratory blast observations and social survey responses on noise related effects was found to be 0.82, indicating a strong relationship between blast noise levels and it impact on residents within the study area.

Source: KNUST
Land Use Planning and Its Impact on the Physical Development of Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality

Land use planning has been recognised as being crucial in promoting a country’s physical and socio-economic development. A number of commentators have suggested that the process is essential in ensuring that land related activities are developed and organised with due consideration for land use principles which include safety, convenience, efficiency, energy conservation, environmental quality, social equity, social choice and amenity. However, despite such importance, the specific impact of land use planning on the development of human settlements has rarely been explored. The objective of this study was to contribute to the discourse towards unveiling the impact of land use planning on physical development of towns in Ghana. To reach this objective, a cross sectional research design was adopted to inform the selection of the study areas and the generalisation of the study findings. The assessment of the impact of land use planning on physical development of towns was done using a comparison of two communities; New Atuabo and Abonteakoon in the Tarkwa Nsuaem Municipality. Two groups of respondents were used for the study; heads of four institutions and residents of New Atuabo (81) and Abonteakoon (79). A descriptive statistical tool was used in analysing the field data collected through the administration of questionnaire. The study revealed that there is a significant level of difference in the physical development between the planned and unplanned communities. It further demonstrated that, statistically, land use planning has an impact on the development of settlements. Optimising space for housing development and improving households’ access to utilities and socio economic facilities; among others are such impacts of land use planning on the development settlements. The study therefore recommends that, government and other stakeholders should pursue proper land use planning through the preparation and implementation of district spatial development framework, structural plans and local plans for communities without such plans, while people are made to comply with such regulations. Necessary infrastructure should also be provided to make conducive living, in the unplanned neighbourhoods possible.

Source: KNUST
Land use management systems and implication on spatial organisation of towns in Atwima Nwabiagya district. a case of Abuakwa and Nkawie

Land use management system is a key factor in spatial organization of towns. Based on this premise, Ghana has embarked on various policies to ensure the effective use, control and management of land and its resources all aimed at making cities and towns properly organized internally. Over the years the attention has not been seriously given to issues of spatial organization in our towns and cities and thus the neglect of this has accounted for various spatial problems in towns and cities. The aim of this study was to contribute to the discourse in implications land use management systems have in organizing space in towns. The study was preceded with an understanding of what spatial organization entails, factors affecting its and also land use management and land management in general. The study directly administered 200 questionnaires to households and institutions in the study area for primary data to supplement secondary data from literature. The study identified that spatial organization in Abuakwa and Nkawie was guided by a land use management system which was the land Administration Project. However, this policy was not totally yielding the desired results in the district and this was because it has only been in existence for the past one year. Again, the market system had some amount of influence on the land use activities in these towns and the study revealed that it was most influential on agricultural, residential and commercial land use activities. The study further revealed that areas of district which had prepared planning schemes were the semi-urban and urban areas which included Abuakwa and Nkawie where land owners were willing to commit funds for scheme preparation Based on these challenges, the study recommended that policies in relation to land use management such as LAP should be thoroughly explained to the public for better appreciation of what the policy entails and how important it is to the spatial development and organization of these towns and the district as a whole. Additionally, the study recommended that Land ownership and tenure should be looked at carefully and the differences strike out to pave way for smooth development as land plays a major role in spatial organization and land use management.

Source: KNUST
Land Use/Cover Response to Rainfall Variability: A Comparing Analysis between NDVI and EVI in the Southwest of Burkina Faso

Abstract: A comparative analysis of the sensitivity of NDVI and EVI to rainfall indicators has been carried out for different land use/covers in the Southwest of Burkina Faso. Three classified land use/covers maps for 1999, 2006 and 2011 were produced and change detection was applied to locate persistent areas. Thereafter monthly vegetation indices of plots of 750 × 750 m2 were extracted from 2001 to 2011 for persistent woodland, mixed vegetation, and agricultural area within 5 km radius around four rain gauges. Furthermore, correlation analysis to measure the relationship between vegetation indices and rainfall indicators was performed. The results indicate some similarities between NDVI and EVI. Both indices, for all land use/covers, showed significant and strong positive correlation with the rainfall indicators. In general, NDVI was more sensitive to rainfall than EVI in the study area, but the difference between the Pearson’s coefficient values of both vegetation indices was insignificant. The findings of this work agree with some previous studies, but OPEN ACCESSClimate 2015, 3 64 contrasting conclusions were also noted in literature. Hence wider spatial investigation will be necessary to confirm the results of this paper

Source: KNUST
Land Use/Cover Response to Rainfall Variability: A Comparing Analysis between NDVI and EVI in the Southwest of Burkina Faso

A comparative analysis of the sensitivity of NDVI and EVI to rainfall indicators has been carried out for different land use/covers in the Southwest of Burkina Faso. Three classified land use/covers maps for 1999, 2006 and 2011 were produced and change detection was applied to locate persistent areas. Thereafter monthly vegetation indices of plots of 750 × 750 m2 were extracted from 2001 to 2011 for persistent woodland, mixed vegetation, and agricultural area within 5 km radius around four rain gauges. Furthermore, correlation analysis to measure the relationship between vegetation indices and rainfall indicators was performed. The results indicate some similarities between NDVI and EVI. Both indices, for all land use/covers, showed significant and strong positive correlation with the rainfall indicators. In general, NDVI was more sensitive to rainfall than EVI in the study area, but the difference between the Pearson’s coefficient values of both vegetation indices was insignificant. The findings of this work agree with some previous studies,butcontrasting conclusions were also noted in literature. Hence wider spatial investigation will be necessary to confirm the results of this paper.

Source: KNUST
Land-use change modelling, scenarios development and impacts assessment on CO2 and N2O emissions from vegetation degradation in the Dassari Basin, Benin

The Kyoto Protocol of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) was developed as an attempt to confront and begin to reverse the rising CO2 concentrations. But in order to set emission reduction targets in AFOLU (Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Uses) sector, land use scenarios must be developed. The present study addressed this issue in exploring the possible future temporal and spatial impacts on CO2 and N2O emissions from vegetation degradation in the Dassari Basin in the North- West of Benin. To achieve this objective, the current vegetation carbon and nitrogen stocks were estimated using the highest Tier level recommended by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and scenarios were developed based on the current trend of land use and socio-economic status of the site. The land use cover changes showed a deforestation rate of 1.48 %. The estimated mean carbon stock values and attached standard errors varied from 1.52 ± 0.14 (for the cropland) to 97.83 ± 27.55 (for the plantations) Mg C ha-1. The estimated nitrogen stock varied from 0.0077± 0.0067 (for the cropland) to 0.321±0.088 (for the plantations) Mg ha-1 of N. A total of 175,347.75 ± 21,042.48 (CI) and 875.53 ± 101.45 (CI) Mg was found for carbon and nitrogen stocks respectively in 2013 at 95 % (CI). The business as usual scenario or the baseline (LUS1) will contribute to the emissions of 26.70 Gg CO2 eq. and to a net removal of 21.70 Gg of CO2 per year over the period 2013-2025. The impact of the policy based food security scenario (LUS2) will contribute to decrease the total emission by up to 29.25 % and will increase the net removal by up to 42.94 % whereas policy based adaptation and mitigation strategy to climate change scenario (LUS3) and food security based mitigation strategy to climate change scenario (LUS4) will respectively contribute to reduce the total emission by up to 13.14 % and 36.47 %. Despite these findings the basin will still be a sink by 2025, but it is time to act and react to strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities and contribute to the removal of CO2 through local project development or project based carbon fund.

Source: KNUST
Land use/land cover mapping: accuracy comparison of classification of various band combinations:(Ejisu Juaben Municipality Area)

This thesis investigates the issue of selection of the optimum band combinations of Landsat 7 ETM+ that yield better Ejisu Juaben Municipality LULC classification when satellite data and training area are available. The classes obtained could help in performing classification using Maximum Likelihood Classification (MLC). The Principal Composite Analysis (PCA) yielded better information about land use and land cover (LULC) classes. Tasselled Cap (TC) was used for image transformation and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) image was used to characterize green vegetation. All were used alone and in combination with original bands for classification accuracy comparison. The result from PC1-3, B1-4 and B1-5, 7 were respectively found better (Accuracy 90%, kappa 0.86), (Accuracy 88%, kappa 0.84) and (87%, 0.82). The PCA band combination is the best that yield optimum LULC within Ejisu Juaben Municipality.

Source: KNUST
Landscape patterns and modelling of soil-vegetation relationship and related ecosystem services to support landscape conservation in the Mo River Basin (Togo)

In order to support integrated land scapes and restoration efforts, this research focused on the a ssessment and monitoring of the spatio - temporal land use/cover change (LUCC) and degradation in the Mo River Basin (a subunit of the Volta basin of about 1,490 km 2 in Central Togo). Field measurements, legacy and ancillary data were subjected to s equential multivariate methods , correlation analyses , geostatistics and modelling to analyse landscape conditions. First, a long a gradient of land protection regime, data from extensive soi l sampling and forest inventory were used to analyse soil organic carbon ( SO C ) and total nitrogen ( TN ) storage up to 30 cm depth, and the interactions between vegetation - soil conditions. Next, Landsat images o f 1972, 1987, 2000 and 2014 combined with most updated global topographic and soil databases were used to analyse the land s cape cha nges a nd its impacts on SOC , TN , soil loss potential and landscape patterns. Finally, the Landscape Management and Planning Tool adapted for the Mo basin (LAMPT_Mo), a spatially explicit model based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSL E) , was used to model the historical soil loss, and evaluate the efficiency of some land management scenarios. Different databases and field characterisation were used for model calibration and validation. The results showed that SOC and TN varied signific antly according to land use/ cover types, soil depths, topographical positions and land protection regime. With forests and woodlands exhibiting highest amounts of nutrients, mean TN varied from 0.06 to 0.16 % in the topsoil (0 – 10 cm) and 0.04 to 0.09 % i n the subsoil (10 – 30 cm). Similarly, SOC ranged from 1.81 % in farmlands to 3.58 % in forests in the topsoil while woodlands had highest SOC in the subsoil (2.23 %). The river basin is made up of four and three vegetation types in unprotected and protect ed areas, respectively. The synergized effects of land protection status, soil conditions, landform, and human disturbances drive these vegetation patterns.

Source: KNUST