Land-Cover Dynamics in an Urban Area of Ghana

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to quantify land-cover changes. A short-term projection of land-cover distribution in a 2400-ha (1 ha = 10 000 m2 ) area of northern Ghana was generated. Landsat Thematic Mapper images acquired in 1984, 1992, and 1999 were used for land-cover mapping, whereas land-cover projections were carried out using transition probability techniques. Remote sensing analyses showed that in the first period (1984?92), the dominant land-cover change process was the expansion of the built-up area (26 ha yr?1) as a result of an increase in demand for housing by the increasing population. Expansion of the built-up area continued at the rate of 35 ha yr?1 in the second period (1992?99), as well as development of peri-urban agriculture (24 ha yr?1) to meet the food demand of the rapidly growing population. Projection of land-cover distribution showed that the built-up area would further increase at the expense of cropland and natural vegetation, covering about 39% of the landscape by 2006. Policy implications of this trend are discussed. This paper is part of a special theme issue on land use and ecosystems.