Threats of Changes in Land-Use and Drivers on Owabi and Barekese Watershed Forests in Ghana

Abstract

This study analyzes the patterns of land-use and land-cover changes for the last three decades (1986–2017) and its drivers for Owabi and Barekese watersheds in the moist semi-deciduous forest of Ghana. The study used Landsat satellite imageries of 1986, 1998, 2007, and 2017 and population data to analyze land cover and use changes of the two watersheds. A decline in natural vegetation cover by 57% and 71.3% has occurred for Owabi and Barekese watersheds respectively. Cropland increased by 77.1% and 105.2% while settlement has increased by 1,018% and 4%, respectively, for Owabi and Barekese watersheds. Cropland is the main form of land-use change for Barekese watershed while settlement is the main land-use change in the Owabi watershed. Annual expansion of settlement within the Owabi site was 38.1%, and cropland was 5.2% for the Barekese site. Population trends had a significant negative relationship with forest cover and a positive relationship with settlement and cropland. Catchment degradation was also influenced by the management model used.