The impact of crop farmers’ decisions on future land use, land cover changes in Kintampo North Municipality of Ghana

Abstract

Purpose -This paper aims to assess the rate and land category contributing to the changes in seven land-uses in the Kintampo North Municipality of Ghana and the effect of the decisions of land users on future landscapes.Design/methodology/approach -LANDSAT images were classified to generate land use/cover maps to detect changes that had occurred between 1986 and 2014. In total, 120 farmers were also interviewed to determine their perceptions on land use changes. Interval, category and transition levels of changes were determined. Savanna woodland, settlement and forest were mostly converted to farmland in both intervals (1986-2001 and 2001-2014).Findings -Results showed that rock outcrop, plantation, cropland and savanna woodland increased at an annual rate of 13.86, 1.57, 0.82 and 0.33 per cent, respectively, whilst forest, settlement and water body decreased at 4.90, 1.84 and 1.17 per cent annual rate of change, respectively. Approximately, 74 per cent of farmers will not change land use in the future, while 84.2 per cent plan to increase farm sizes.Research limitations/implications -The study shows that more land cover will be targeted for conversion as farmers expand their farmlands. There is the need for strict implementation of appropriate land use/cover policies to sustain food production in the region in this era of changing climate and population increase.Originality/value -This research assessed the land use changes in the Kintampo North Municipality and its impacts on agriculture and carbon stocks release via land use changes. It identified how the decisions of the local farmers on land management will affect future landscape.

Evaluating Land Use and Land Cover Change in the Gaborone Dam Catchment, Botswana, from 1984–2015 Using GIS and Remote Sensing

“…Thus, agricultural production remains the core of the rural economy, hence the reported increase in croplands and LULC changes. Therefore, as Bessah [86] noted, the agricultural land expansion trend is global irrespective of the economic status and location of the country. The expansion in croplands or intense use of land for cultivation as observed in the Gaborone dam catchment may result in higher runoff rates, unless water conservation measures are introduced on cultivated land [87].…”

Validating local drivers influencing land use cover change in Southwestern Ghana: a mixed-method approach

“…Other researchers have conducted meta-analysis or review studies on land-use systems and water sedimentation (Boakye et al 2018 ). Local studies conducted in various towns, districts, and regions have assessed the impacts of urbanization, illegal logging of trees and intensiveness of large scale mining and artisanal or small-scale mining (LSM/ASM) (Owusu-Nimo et al 2018 ; Awotwi et al 2018 ; Basommi et al 2015 ), urban heat islands (Aduah et al 2012 ), driving forces and consequences in regional capitals; notably Bolgatanga, Accra, Kumasi (McGregor et al 2011 ), Sekondi-Takoradi (Obeng-Odoom 2013 ) among other municipalities/towns like Kintampo Municipality (Bessah et al 2019 ) and New Juaben, respectively. Watershed and other river basin studies around Lake Bosomtwe (Bessah et al 2020 ; Amproche et al 2019 ; Awotwi et al 2015 ; Adjei et al 2014 ; Leemhuis et al 2009 ) in the Ashanti region of Ghana; Black and White Volta River Basins in the Volta/Oti regions (Tahiru et al 2020 ) in the far east; Ankobra, Pra and Densu River Basins (Oti et al 2020 ) in the west and Southernmost part of Ghana assessed the impacts of illegal mining (primarily gold and bauxite mining), deforestation among other factors that induce land-cover transitions in these areas.…”

Land Cover Changes in Ghana over the Past 24 Years

“…The District level studies span issues including evaluating the impacts of surface mining on LULC [15,25] and determining the drivers of LULC changes in peri-urban areas [26][27][28]. LULC studies conducted at the city/municipal level in Ghana mostly capture LULC change patterns, the drivers and impacts and implications in different locations across the country including Accra and Kumasi metropolitan areas [4,5], Sekondi-Takoradi metro area [1,29], New Juaben [30] and Kintampo North Municipality [31]. Some of the city/municipal level studies compared the patterns of urban development between cities in the northern and southern parts of Ghana [32].…”