Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Aug 22;10(17):e36635.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36635. eCollection 2024 Sep 15.

Modelling the drivers of land use and land cover change of the great Amanzule wetland ecosystem to inform the development policy of the southwestern oil-rich region of Ghana

Francis Adarkwah  1 , Stephen Awuni  2   3 , Miroslav Hajek  2 , Daniel Kübler  4 , Memuna Mattah  5 , Christopher Gordon  1 , Erasmus H Owusu  6
Affiliations

Modelling the drivers of land use and land cover change of the great Amanzule wetland ecosystem to inform the development policy of the southwestern oil-rich region of Ghana

Francis Adarkwah et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

This study focused on the current and future drivers of land-use change and its impact on the Amanzule wetland. It suggests policy implications for reviewing and strengthening existing policies for sustainable land use. This study employed remote sensing and GIS techniques, including participatory rural appraisal techniques. The administration of questionnaires and focus group discussions were conducted in the Ellembelle and Jomoro municipalities, where the Amanzule wetland provides economic and social services. The results showed increased land use over the last 32 years driven by various drivers, including food crop production, rubber plantations, oil and gas establishments, and infrastructure development. The study further revealed that these drivers could influence land-use change in 18 years (2018-2036). Urbanisation, cropland, rubber plantations, and shrubland will drive land-use change in the study area between 2036 and 2054. The Amanzule wetland area is expected to decrease from 272.34 ha in 2018 to 210.60 ha by 2036. The wetland area is expected to further decrease from 210.60 ha in 2036 to 174.33 ha by 2054. Other land use classes, such as mangrove and swamp forests, are also expected to decrease within the same period. The study recommends advocating for a wetland policy, enforcing the Land Use and Spatial Planning Act 925 and the Petroleum Exploration and Production Act 919 for sustainable development.

Keywords: Amanzule wetland; Biodiversity; Ecosystem services; Ghana; Land use change; Sustainable development.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Map of the study area.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Conceptual and theoretical framework.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Flow chart of the methodology.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
Previous livelihood (15–30 years ago).
Fig. 5
Fig. 5
Present livelihood (2018 to date).
Fig. 6
Fig. 6
Gains and losses of LULC between 2000 and 2018.
Fig. 7
Fig. 7
Land-use/land cover map of the study area (1986).
Fig. 8
Fig. 8
Land-use/land cover map of the study area (2000).
Fig. 9
Fig. 9
Land-use/land cover map of the study area (2018).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. BirdLife International Important bird area factsheet: Amansuri wetland. Downloaded from. 2024 https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/amansuri-wetland-iba-ghana
    1. BirdLife International Important bird area factsheet: amansuri wetland. Downloaded from. 2024 https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/amansuri-wetland-iba-ghana
    1. Taillardat P., Thompson B.S., Garneau M., Trottier K., Friess D.A. Climate change mitigation potential of wetlands and the cost-effectiveness of their restoration. Interface Focus. 2020;10 doi: 10.1098/rsfs.2019.0129. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Davidson N.C., Finlayson C.M. Extent, regional distribution and changes in area of different classes of wetland. Mar. Freshw. Res. 2018;69:1525–1533. doi: 10.1071/MF17377. - DOI
    1. Danso G.K., Takyi S.A., Amponsah O., Yeboah A.S., Owusu R.O. Exploring the effects of rapid urbanisation on wetlands: insights from the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area. Ghana. SN Social Sciences. 2021;1:1–21.

LinkOut - more resources