Ghana Journal of Geography

From Agriculture to Urban: Land Use Changes in Ho Municipality, Ghana.

2025-11-11T20:42:45+00:00

This paper examines land use and land cover (LULC) changes in the Ho Municipality, a secondary city in Ghana, over a twenty-year period (2004–2024). Using a mixed methods approach that integrates remote sensing analysis of Landsat images with in-depth interviews of residents and municipal officials, the study quantifies spatial transformations and explores their social and economic drivers. The results show that built-up areas expanded nearly fourfold, largely at the expense of farmland and grasslands. While this pattern is consistent with the late stage of Urban Transition Theory, the Ho case reveals distinctive dynamics: land revaluation is incremental and household-led rather than driven by large-scale developers, and livelihood transitions remain limited due to a narrow economic base. Farmers and residents increasingly view land as a financial asset for rental housing and commercial development, reflecting a shift from agrarian to rent-based livelihoods. The findings demonstrate that secondary cities like Ho experience urban land transitions without corresponding economic diversification, deepening livelihood precarity while accelerating environmental degradation. By situating Ho within wider African urbanization debates, the paper highlights the need for context-sensitive planning and governance frameworks that can mediate land commodification while safeguarding livelihoods and ecological sustainability.

Determinants of antenatal care service utilization among pastoralist women in Kiteto District, Tanzania.

2025-11-11T20:42:46+00:00

Utilization of antenatal care services is associated with improved maternal and neonatal health outcomes among pregnant women in Kiteto District. A cross-sectional design was used to examine the association between the independent variables and the outcome variable among targeted population at a single point in time. The Andersen’s Behavioral Model of health services utilization was adopted because it explains why individuals use healthcare services through predisposing, enabling and need based factors. Stratified and simple random sampling was used sample 427 women aged between 15-49 years for the study based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. A structured questionnaire which constituted socio-demographic characteristics, number and timing of antenatal care visits, place of delivery and assistance during child birth was used in this study. The data was analyzed using logistic regression to predict key determinants influencing outcome variable. The finding shows that 73.3% of the respondents received antenatal care services; among them only 30% made at least four visits during their last pregnancy. This suggests that while initial ANC access is relatively high, structural barriers like distance, cost, or competing demands likely to hinder consistent care utilization throughout pregnancy. The results further indicate that a small proportion (19.2%) had first antenatal care (ANC) visit during the first trimester of pregnancy. The multivariate regression analysis show that being a small business woman (AOR=1.31, 95% CI=0.738-2.334) and urban residency (AOR=2.19, 95% CI=1.219-3.947) encouraged the antenatal care utilization while higher parity of ≥4 (AOR=0.523, 95% CI=0.264-1.035) was inversely associated with ANC utilization as compared to women who had 1-3 parity. Similarly, women with primary or above education level were more likely to visit ANC services (AOR=5.591, 95% CI=3.050-9.181) as compared to women who had no formal education. The study recommends that mothers should be educated and made to access skilled health providers for antenatal, delivery and postnatal care to enable early detection of pregnancy complications and allow prompt treatment for a mother and the newborn. Similarly, the study recommends a comprehensive policy interventions including mobile clinics and outreach program to improve antenatal care (ANC) utilization among pastoralist communities.

Gender Norms and Agro-Pastoral Women’s Participation in Economic Activities in North-Eastern Nigeria.

2025-11-11T20:42:46+00:00

For the promotion of women's empowerment, there is a need to explore effective and efficient time management among marginalised rural women agriculturalists. This study investigates the relationship between gender attitudes and time management among agro-pastoralists in North-eastern Nigeria. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed in the analysis of the data, which included a household survey of 3041 participants and 30 key informants. Data were analysed using SPSS 23, and the study area map was produced by ArcGIS 10 software. Descriptive and multiple regressions (simple and stepwise) were used for data analysis. The findings reveal significant gender differences in time management, with women assuming a greater share of household and childcare responsibilities. Women's and men's attitudes toward time management are affected by patriarchal norms and societal beliefs. The study shows that above 80% of the population is primarily engaged in full-time agriculture and livestock production. The findings revealed mixed farming practices among the agro-pastoralists, with their participation in crop farming (62%), livestock (73%), and non-farm (51%) activities. The regression results indicate that nine variables significantly influence time management, with a statistical significance level of 72%. Most gender differences in time management are marked by the involvement of most women in domestic and household responsibilities/tasks rather than income-generating activities. Women spend longer hours working daily and fewer leisure hours (3 hours). There is a need to encourage attitudinal change at the community level regarding gender roles and responsibilities, implement gender equality policies and effective time management, which affords more time for incomegenerating tasks for females in this sector of the economy.

Spousal Labour Migration and Patterns of School Enrolment of Left-Behind Children in Oyo State, Nigeria

2025-12-16T23:54:08+00:00

The incidence of spousal labour migration and its negative consequences on various aspects of life among left-behind households have been on the increase in Nigeria in recent times. This study examines the spatial variation of spousal migration and its consequences on school enrolment pattern of left -behind children. The New Economics of Labour Migration was used as the framework, while a cross-sectional survey design was adopted. Oyo State was purposively selected because it is among the states suggested to be experiencing relatively high migration. Four settlements were randomly selected from two Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Oyo Central Senatorial District. Non-probability sampling technique was used to select 1,613 respondents (Migrants – 447, Non-migrants – 1,166) after saturation was ensured based on the Oyo State household population from the senatorial district. Data were collected using structured questionnaire with experts-certified content validity and ethical standard. Descriptive and inferential statistics were employed, and analysis were carried out at 0.05 significance level. First results showed that spousal migration in the study areas contributed to the menace of out-of-school children in households. The empirical findings also revealed significant variation in the number of children enrolled in the settlements (F= 21.354, p=0.001). Furthermore, the analysis showed that the factors contributing to the volume and direction of flow among migrants varies significantly (F=66.296; p=0.001). The study recommended the need to design a social welfare scheme for the left-behind children to minimise the effects of spousal migration on them especially on children’s education.

The Well-being of Older Persons in Tanzania: Does receiving family social support count?

2025-12-17T00:11:21+00:00

This study was conducted in Buhigwe District to understand the determinants of the well-being of older persons, with a focus on the family support, and guided by the intergenerational solidarity theory. The quantitative cross-sectional study used data from 403 respondents aged 60 and above. It used a survey method with a researcher-administered questionnaire to collect the data. The binary logistic regression was used to determine the predictors of well-being. The results revealed an association between lower odds of having high well-being and age groups 70-79 and 80+ years, with aORs= 0.216 (95% CI: 0.099-0.472) and 0.319 (95% CI: 0.144-0.709), respectively, and P-values of < 0.001. Poor health was also associated with lower odds of having high well-being, aOR=0.139(95% CI: 0.073-0.263), P-value<0.001. Inability to participate in family activities was associated with lower odds of having high well-being (aOR=0.26(95% CI 0.094-0.721), P-value<0.05), likewise weak commitment to familial obligations (aOR=0.223 (95% CI: 0.107-0.531), P-value<0.001. Furthermore, lower odds of having high well-being were associated with poor wealth (aOR=0.384(95% CI: 0.186-0.793), P-value<0.05), large households (aOR=0.43(95% CI: 0.234-0.788), P-value<0.05 and moderate frequency of contact aOR=0.475 (95% CI: 0.232-0.973), Pvalue<0.05. The findings give insights into the family support and socio-economic factors on older persons’ well-being. However, the association between each type of support and well-being was not statistically significant. Targeted policy programmes by the government are needed to improve health services and reduce poverty. The study has contributed to knowledge on receiving family support and well-being. A mixed research approach is recommended to understand the relationship between social support and well-being in comparable environments.

Modeling Land Surface Temperature Dynamics Using Biophysical and Environmental Drivers for Prescribed Fire Planning in Serengeti National Park

2025-12-17T00:35:27+00:00

Despite the extensive research on the factors that influence Land Surface Temperature (LST), the combined effects of vegetation structure, soil moisture, land cover dynamics, and fire activity on surface temperature regulation remain underquantified across heterogeneous protected landscapes such as national parks. This study investigated the relationship between LST and multiple biophysical and environmental variables, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), burn severity (dNBR), soil moisture, and land cover, in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, from 2001 to 2024, to support datadriven fire and habitat management strategies. Model evaluation metrics (R², MAE, RMSE, MAPE, BAE, and MBE) indicated high predictive performance, and residual analysis confirmed model validity and homoscedasticity. Grasslands overwhelmingly dominated the landscape (≈99%), while savannas expanded slightly and croplands declined after 2006. Burn severity analysis based on the dNBR classification revealed predominantly low to moderate severity, with limited areas of high severity concentrated in the western and central zones. Areas of higher burn severity corresponded to elevated LST, while unburned or lightly burned regions exhibited cooler temperatures and higher vegetation recovery potential. Soil moisture showed pronounced seasonal and interannual variability, with surface layers responding rapidly to rainfall, and deeper layers displaying greater stability and moisture retention. Peaks in 2006–2007, 2017–2018, and 2020–2021 coincided with wetter conditions, whereas declines occurred during prolonged dry periods. The results demonstrated a strong inverse relationship between NDVI and LST, highlighting vegetation’s cooling effect and its role in post-fire recovery. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating LST and its biophysical predictors into fire and ecosystem management frameworks to enhance ecological resilience and guide adaptive, climate-informed decision-making in protected savanna landscapes.