Two Decades of Land Use and Land Cover Dynamics: Assessing the Ecological Status of the Sakumono Ramsar Site, Ghana

Abstract

The ecological status of the Sakumono Ramsar Site in Ghana has been significantly affected by rapid urbanization and land-use transformation over the past two decades. This study analyzes the patterns and trends in Land Use Land Cover (LULC) changes across the years 2000 to 2023, focusing on four main habitat types: Built-up, Floodplain, Vegetation, and Water. Using Landsat imagery and GIS tools, LULC changes were quantified through a supervised classification approach, validated with an accuracy assessment yielding overall accuracies of 89.13% (2000), 97.5% (2010), and 100% (2023). Further ecological analysis was conducted using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Modified Normalized Difference Water Index (MNDWI). The results indicate that the Built-up area increased dramatically from 1.06% in 2000 to 45.26% in 2023, largely due to urban expansion from nearby Accra and Tema municipalities. Concurrently, Floodplain areas decreased from 82.22% to 21.72%, Water areas dropped from 5.62% to 2.02%, and Vegetation areas increased from 11.10% to 30.99%. These substantial changes severely compromise wetland functions. Despite national and international frameworks like the Ramsar Convention, enforcement has been minimal, and community-based initiatives have struggled with sustainability. This study underscores the urgency for active community involvement and robust stakeholder collaboration to preserve the Sakumono Ramsar Site's ecological health, highlighting the urgent need for sustainable mitigation efforts for the adverse impacts of urbanization and restore the ecological integrity of this crucial wetland ecosystem.