Ghana Journal of Geography

Trends in Wildfire Dynamics in Ghana’s Transition Zone: Evidence from Dormaa and Atebubu-Amantin Districts.

Prince Owusu — 2025-12-31

Wildfires are major ecological and socio-economic concern in Ghana, especially within the Transition Zone where forest and savanna ecosystems converge. While fire plays a natural role in maintaining ecological balance, it can also be a threat to biodiversity, soil fertility, and rural livelihoods when it is intense. This study investigates the trends, drivers, community preparedness and coping strategies associated with wildfires in the Dormaa and Atebubu-Amantin Districts of Ghana’s Transition Zone. Using a mixed-methods approach, data were collected through household surveys (n = 165), institutional records, and key informant interviews. Descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and binary logistic regression were employed to analyze the quantitative data, while qualitative responses were thematically analyzed. Findings reveal a general decline in wildfire incidences over the past decade, corroborated by both community perceptions and institutional records. Declines were largely attributed to sensitization campaigns, adoption of improved farming practices, expansion of cash-crop systems, and the work of fire volunteer units. Despite this progress, anthropogenic activities such as land clearing, hunting, smoking, and grazing alongside environmental stressors like prolonged dry seasons and high temperatures remain key drivers of wildfire occurrence. Community preparedness was moderate, with high awareness of preventive measures but limited access to firefighting equipment and resources. The coping strategies varied across districts, ranging from communal patrols and firebreaks to shifts from annual to perennial crops. The study concludes that effective wildfire reduction requires an integrated approach that combines community-based fire management, institutional capacity building, and climate-sensitive policy interventions, which can support Ghana’s forest restoration and climate adaptation agendas.

Analysis of Annual Maximum Daily Rainfall at Selected Locations in Central Nigeria.

Olubunmi Adegun — 2025-12-31

In recent times, there has been an intensification in the occurrence of extreme rainfall events, necessitating the need for a deeper understanding of the behaviour of these extreme events. Using the Generalised Extreme Value distribution, this study analysed the probability of occurrence and behaviour of annual maximum daily rainfall at Abuja, Lafia, and Lokoja in the central region of Nigeria between 1989 and 2023. The parameters of the Generalised Extreme Value distribution were estimated using the maximum likelihood method, and the return levels were computed 2, 5, 10 and, 25, 50, 100 and 200 years return period. The results of the Mann-Kendall trend test and Sen’s slope estimator revealed significant declining and increasing trends of 1.1 mm/yr and 2.0 mm/yr at Abuja and Lafia, respectively and no trend at Lokoja. The Augmented Dickey-Fuller test indicated non-stationarity in the time series of annual maximum daily rainfall at Abuja and Lafia, while stationarity was accepted for Lokoja. The results of the distribution fitting showed that the Weibull distribution was the best fit distribution for Abuja, while the Fréchet distribution was the most appropriate for Lafia, and Lokoja. Relative to the return periods, the estimated return level for the 2-year return varied between 75.4 mm and 103.3 mm of rainfall, while the 200-year return period varied between 168.3 mm and 224.8 mm of rainfall. These findings emphasize the need for further deepening of the understanding of extreme rainfall events to improve community resilience to hydrometeorological hazards such as flooding.

Non-Linear Responses to Land Use Change: Exploring Morphological Thresholds and Chaotic Signatures in the Ankobra River.

Julia Quaicoe — 2025-12-31

River systems often display complex and seemingly random behaviours and patterns. This complexity may be attributable to the non-linear dynamics intrinsic to these systems, making them suitable for analysis through the lens of chaos theory. While natural processes contribute to chaotic behaviour, human land-use and land-cover changes significantly alter river systems by modifying sediment loads, flow regimes, and riparian vegetation. In this study, we examine how land-use and land-cover changes can act as perturbations, triggering or amplifying chaotic dynamics in river systems, using the Ankobra River basin as a case study. The research utilizes satellite imagery, remote sensing (RS), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques for spatiotemporal quantification of river channel form and LULC changes over three (3) decades (1991-2024). Specifically, Landsat images were processed and analysed using 5.6 ENVI and ArcGIS Pro. Findings reveal a significant and consistent increase in built-up areas over the different periods in the various sections of the river, coupled with a notable decrease in dense and sparse vegetation observed over much of the study period. The study concludes that the behaviour of river systems is on a continuous trajectory where future dynamics is dependent critically on present actions, past events, and conditions that exists in both upstream and downstream reaches.

Vulnerability of Seaweed Farmers and Adaptation to Climate Change on Pemba Island, Zanzibar.

Abdillah Othman Mussa — 2025-12-31

Climate change poses significant threats to coastal livelihoods in small islands, particularly, in sub-Saharan Africa, where communities such as seaweed farmers on Pemba Island, Zanzibar, face heightened vulnerability. This study assessed the vulnerability and adaptation of seaweed farmers to climate change in Micheweni District, focusing on perceived effects, vulnerability levels, and current adaptation practices. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected using a survey questionnaire from 183 smallholder farmers in Maziwa Ng’ombe and Kiuyu Mbuyuni Shehia. Vulnerability was measured using the IPCC-derived Livelihood Vulnerability Index (LVI), which incorporates exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity based on sustainable livelihood capitals. The results highlighted that seaweed farming is female-dominated (72.7%), with low education levels (63.9% nonformal). The overall LVI was 0.27, indicating moderate vulnerability, suggesting that farmers can manage current risks, but face a potential decline in livelihoods without enhanced support. This was driven by moderate-tohigh exposure (0.64), reflecting frequent hazards like rising temperatures and floods that threaten assets; high sensitivity (0.74), due to heavy natural resource dependence that amplifies disruptions in productivity and income; and low-to-moderate adaptive capacity (0.49), constrained by limited financial and physical assets, reducing options for coping or recovery. All farmers perceived negative climate impacts on seaweed growth and production, with household yields declining from 4,480 kg in 2016 to 2,422 kg in 2020, attributed to heat stress and winds. Adaptation practices identified included changing farming methods (68.9%, e.g., deep-water cultivation), crop diversification (35%), and alternative activities (39.3%, e.g., livestock), with gender differences highlighting women's focus on on-farm strategies. The findings underscore the need for contextspecific interventions, such as deep-water technologies and gender-inclusive policies, within Zanzibar's Blue Economy, to build resilience and prevent poverty escalation amid climate risks. We recommend that future research evaluate the adaptation effectiveness of the new strategies.

Assessing the Socio-Economic and Ecological Impacts of Fishing Intensity in Bagamoyo, Tanzania: A Community-Based Perspective.

Sixbert Joachim Msambichaka — 2025-12-31

Small-scale fisheries along the Tanzanian coast are increasingly shaped by rising fishing intensity, with far-reaching ecological and socio-economic consequences for coastal livelihoods. While national policies promote sustainable and community-based fisheries management, less is known about how the artisanal fishers themselves perceive fishing intensity, how this awareness relates to observed ecological change, and whether it translates into meaningful socio-economic and behavioural responses. Addressing this gap, this study applies the social-ecological systems (SES) framework to examine the relationships between fishers’ awareness of fishing intensity, the perceived ecological impacts, income outcomes, and adaptive strategies in Bagamoyo District, Tanzania. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 357 artisanal fishers across four coastal wards (Dunda, Zinga, Kaole, and Mlingotini), selected from official fisher registers. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, Pearson correlations, binary logistic regression, and chi-square tests to assess how awareness of fishing intensity relates to ecological observations, fishing income, and adaptation behaviours. The results show that awareness of fishing intensity was high (74%), with most of the respondents reporting declining fish stocks (90%) and a substantial proportion noting the disappearance of multiple species (35%). Binary logistic regression identified years of fishing experience (OR=1.13, p=0.004), species loss (OR=1.92, p=0.003), and education level (OR=1.36, p=0.039) as significant predictors of awareness. ANOVA revealed significant income differences by awareness (F=6.34, p=0.014), while correlations showed negative links between income and species loss (r=-0.32, p<0.05). Chi-square tests linked awareness to gear substitution (χ²=5.12, p=0.024) and reduced effort (χ²=6.34, p=0.012), but not alternative livelihoods (χ²=2.01, p=0.156). These findings reveal a key social–ecological paradox: despite the widespread awareness of ecological decline, adaptive capacity remains constrained, and fishing intensity persists. By empirically linking ecological perceptions, income dynamics, and behavioural responses, the study demonstrates how awareness functions as a critical but insufficient mediator within a constrained SES. The study contributes novel micro-level evidence from an under-studied East African context and highlights the need for fisheries policies that move beyond awareness-raising to address structural barriers, including limited livelihood alternatives, education, and institutional support, in order to enhance socio-ecological resilience in small-scale fisheries.

Drivers for Digital Transformation by Manufacturing Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Tanzania for Sustainable Supply Chains.

Gloria Chengula — 2025-12-31

This study examines drivers of digital transformation (DT) among manufacturing small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Tanzania, with a particular focus on how place-based conditions shape DT-enabled sustainable supply chains (SSC) across coastal and inland settings. A mixed-methods design combined a questionnaire survey (n = 103) and semi-structured interviews (n = 15) with procurement, production and transport stakeholders in Dar es Salaam, Pwani and Morogoro. Descriptive analysis identified commonly used DTs and their extent of implementation, while confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modelling tested the drivers of adoption. The findings show that Internet of Things and cloud computing are the most widely used DTs, but overall implementation remains moderate. SEM results indicate that organizational readiness and financial capability are the strongest drivers, complemented by technological capability, external support and environmental pressures. Key barriers include limited infrastructure, unclear benefits and shortages of digital skills, which amplify perceived complexity and reduce trialability especially where supply-chain connectivity is weaker. The study contributes a geography-sensitive account of DT adoption in Tanzanian manufacturing SMEs and offers implications for corridor/cluster-oriented support that can accelerate DT for SSC.