The Adoption and Applications of Earth Observations and Allied Geoinformation Systems for Environmental Management in Ghana

Abstract

Earth Observations (EOs) and allied technologies were initially adopted and applied to inform sustainable environmental resource management in Ghana. This paper examines the initial adoption of EOs in the early 1990s and subsequent applications. It highlights the transformative potentials of EO technologies in addressing critical environmental issues while also identifying barriers to their widespread adoption and options for optimal up-scaling. Literature review, in-depth interview, and personal experiences of the author were analyzed. The initial optimism bias generated may have masked the need for establishing the necessary sustainability arrangements. The adoption of EOs was driven by the need to generate data to inform natural and environmental resource management in the mid-1990s. Initially, EOs facilities were established in public organizations, including the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Survey Department, and the University of Ghana. Since then, EOs have been applied in various sectors for research and environmental resource management. Granted, there have been successes. Yet, challenges undermine the optimization and scaling-up of actual benefits. These include the misconceived technocentric view of EOs, which is a restricted domain for the technically initiated and map-making tool. Others, such as unfavourable organizational processes, unsustainable funding, and limitations in research and applications, have adversely contributed to suboptimal outcomes. Suboptimal institutionalization of EOs into management decisions has constrained EOs infrastructure acquisition, maintenance and data procurement. To sustainably enhance EOs applications in resource management, research, and governance, a shift from present misconceptions for effective mainstreaming and a leveraging of EOs as integral parts of decision-making processes are prerequisites. Decision-makers and management personnel should be educated on the relevance of EOs’ functionalities to the core strategies of environmental management.