NASA Highlights Alarming Decline in Ghana’s Forest Reserves

In southwestern Ghana, the remnants of the once-thriving Upper Guinean forest, a biodiversity hotspot, are rapidly shrinking.

NASA’s recent satellite imagery from the Landsat 4 and Landsat 9 satellites shows significant forest loss in 12 protected reserves and the Bia National Park between 1989 and 2023.

These forests are home to diverse species, including primates, elephants, and butterflies, but human activities and environmental factors are driving their decline.

Key contributors include encroachment, logging, cocoa farming, mining, and environmental events like the 2016 El Niño drought, which led to widespread fires, particularly in reserves like Bonsam Bepo.

From 2003 to 2019, researchers, including Michael Wimberly from the University of Oklahoma, observed more forest loss and degradation than recovery. Between 2015 and 2019, forest depletion accelerated due to intensified logging and agricultural expansion.

Efforts to address this crisis include the Forest Data Partnership, introduced in a 2024 United Nations report, which uses remote sensing data to track deforestation-linked activities. Programs like NASA-USAID SERVIR aim to promote sustainable agricultural practices in Ghana and West Africa.

Continued monitoring by researchers using Landsat data offers insights into forest health and degradation trends, with updates available through an interactive map. These efforts aim to curb forest loss and preserve Ghana’s rich biodiversity.