Remote Sensing Application for Land Use/Cover Change Studies in the Lower Volta Basin of Ghana

Abstract

Remote Sensing and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) techniques, involving the interpretation of available aerial photographs, SPOT-XS and Landsat — TM images were used to assess the pattern of land use change downstream of the Lower Volta Basin lying within a 5km corridor on either bank along a 95-km stretch downstream from the Kpong dam. The results indicate that the volume of water which was available seasonally in the lagoons, streams and tidal creeks in the study area have reduced considerably. This has led to a reduction in the area under swamp, mangrove and the predominant grassland vegetation. In spite of the large scale out-migration of the population from the area, there is increased agricultural activity involving the planting of both exotic and local tree species. The results demonstrate that Remote Sensing and GIS procedures offer potential tools for understanding the land use/cover change processes in the environment of the Lower Volta basin