Land cover (LC) change is an integrative indicator of changes in ecosystems due to anthropogenic or natural forcings. There is a significant interest in the investigation of spatio-temporal patterns of LC transitions, and the causes and consequences thereof. While the advent of satellite remote sensing techniques have enhanced our ability to track and measure LC changes across the globe, significant gaps remain in disentangling specific factors that influence, or in certain cases, are influenced by, LC change. This study aims to investigate the relative influence of regional-scale bioclimatology and local-scale anthropogenic factors in driving LC and environmental change in Ghana. This analysis builds upon previous research in the region that has highlighted multiple drivers of LC change in the region, especially via drivers such as deforestation, urbanization, and agricultural expansion. It used regional-scale remotely sensed, demographic, and environmental data for Ghana across 20 years and developed path models on causal factors influencing LC transitions in Ghana. A two-step process is utilized wherein causal linkages from an exploratory factor analysis (EFA) are constrained with literature-based theoretical constructs to implement a regional-scale partial least squares path model (PLSPM). The PLSPM reveals complex interrelationships among drivers of LC change that vary across the geography of Ghana. The model suggests strong effects of local urban expansion on deforestation and vegetation losses in urban and peri-urban areas. Losses of vegetation are in turn related to increases in local heating patterns indicative of urban heat island effects. Direct effects of heat islands are however masked by strong latitudinal gradients in climatological factors. The models confirm that decreases in vegetation cover results in increased land surface albedo that is indirectly related to urban and population expansion. These empirically-estimated causal linkages provide insights into complex spatio-temporal variations in potential drivers of LC change. We expect these models and spatial data products to form the basis for detailed investigations into the mechanistic underpinnings of land cover dynamics across Ghana. These analyses are aimed at building a template for methods that can be utilized to holistically design spatially-disaggregated strategies for sustainable development across Ghana.

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The total population of Ghana has tripled between 1960 and 2015. During the same period, the urban population, however, grew more than 11 times. Rapid urbanization and large increase in population dramatically changed the land cover of the West African country. For example, agricultural land expanded from occupying 13% in mid-1970s to more than a third of Ghana's total land area today. In the meantime, forests and savannas face a huge pressure of being converted to agricultural or urban land uses. The Ghana Land Use Project (GALUP) aims at enhancing the country's capacity in dealing with these challenges. The project engages both institutions and government agencies in Ghana to deliver a series of training workshops focused on remote sensing and geospatial technologies that can facilitate the formulation of sustainable land use plans. Inperson workshops were planned initially, but because of travel restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first GALUP workshop-Land-Use Suitability Analysis with QGIS Tools-was conducted online. Such means of capacity building presented an exceptional opportunity to explore novel methods for transferring knowledge while also forging strong partnerships that are easier with in-person meetings. The 3-month long workshop was delivered in a hybrid mode featuring synchronous and asynchronous components. This hybrid mode was unusual for both trainers and the 41 trainees from four organizations including the Land Use and Spatial Planning Authority (LUSPA), the Center for Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services (CERSGIS), the International Crop Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) and the Agro-Hydrological and Meteorological Centre (AGRHYMET) in Niger. The synchronous component involved weekly meetings and discussion session, and the asynchronous component consisted of a GitHub repository. The repository contained (a) fourteen open-source GIS tools developed for land-use suitability modeling, (b) a discussion channel for Q&A and idea-sharing, and (c) four modules of training materials, each equipped with customized videos and multiple exercises to boost the learning process. The repository has received over 13,000 views since the beginning of the workshop.