GALUP: Transformative land use planning in Ghana through satellite observations, suitability modeling, and stakeholder engagement

Urban population in Ghana has increased by more than an order of magnitude in the last 50 years. Such rapid urbanization has resulted in agricultural expansion and increased pressure on forests and savannah for conversion to other land uses to meet economic demands. In addition, urbanization is known to increase land surface temperatures due to forest and vegetation loss. These trends, along with projected climate impacts in the region, have created an urgent need for land use planning at national, regional, and district levels. Land Use Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA) has been engaged in new policy efforts and in upgrading operational land use planning tools for effective land use planning.

Ghana Land Use Project (GALUP) is a partnership among University of Florida (UF), Center for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services (CERSGIS), and LUSPA to advance land use planning capabilities at all levels using satellite remote sensing and build technical capacity in the region. In the project, historical trends and linkages among land covers/uses are integrated with GIS-based land use suitability analysis to generate alternative land-use scenarios. In this presentation, we demonstrate the framework for formulating land use plans that can help diminish Urban Heat Island (UHI) effects in a rapidly growing area near the City of Kumasi in the Ashanti Region of Ghana. In addition, we discuss stakeholder-need driven capacity building activities to ensure long-term sustainability.