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Implications of Land Use/Land Cover Changes and Climate Change on Black Volta Basin Future Water Resources in Ghana

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  • Joachim Ayiiwe Abungba

    (Department of Civil Engineering, Regional Water and Environmental Sanitation Center Kumasi, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi GPS AK-448-4944, Ghana
    Department of Water Resources Development and Management, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee 247667, India)

  • Kwaku Amaning Adjei

    (Department of Civil Engineering, Regional Water and Environmental Sanitation Center Kumasi, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi GPS AK-448-4944, Ghana)

  • Charles Gyamfi

    (Department of Civil Engineering, Regional Water and Environmental Sanitation Center Kumasi, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi GPS AK-448-4944, Ghana)

  • Samuel Nii Odai

    (Department of Civil Engineering, Regional Water and Environmental Sanitation Center Kumasi, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi GPS AK-448-4944, Ghana
    Vice Chancellors Office, Accra Technical University, Barnes Road, Accra P.O. Box 561, Ghana)

  • Santosh Murlidhar Pingale

    (Hydrological Investigations Division, National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee 247667, India)

  • Deepak Khare

    (Department of Water Resources Development and Management, Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee 247667, India)

Abstract

The Black Volta River basin faces several challenges, which impede the sustainability of its water resources and biodiversity. Climate change coupled with land use/land cover (LULC) change patterns account for most of the observed hydrological changes in the basin. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of changes in the climate and LULC on water resources in the basin, and its effect on the livelihoods of downstream users, particularly regarding water allocations. The water evaluation and planning (WEAP) model was applied to the assessment of runoff and streamflow and the percentage future water demand under climate change scenarios (RCP 2.6 and RCP 8.5), as well as the effects of current and future changes on water supply systems. LULC data from 1990 to 2019 were processed to detect the changes in LULC patterns in the basin. The results showed that from 1990 and 2019, the land use classes of settlements/bare ground, open savannah woodland, croplands, and waterbodies increased by 339.5%, 77.4%, 24.4%, and 607%, respectively. Close savannah woodlands, wetlands, and grasslands all decreased by 97%, 99.8%, and 21.2%, respectively. Overall, there was a significant difference in LULC changes. Hence, measures needed to be put in place to curb the changes, as the observed changes posed a serious challenge to the basin’s water resources. The results from the WEAP simulations also indicated that in the future, changes in discharge would be visible in September with ranges between 0.72 × 10 6 m 3 and 1.9 × 10 6 m 3 for RCP 2.6, and 0.65 × 10 6 m 3 and 2.5 × 10 6 m 3 for RCP 8.5, per month. Although the median values illustrate an increase in water availability from river discharge compared with the reference scenario, the uncertainties in future changes largely exceeded the predicted increases. Annual variability of the mean annual flows is projected to decrease over the period in the Black Volta Basin. Therefore, the outcomes of this study will be useful for different stakeholders within the basin in water resources planning and the formulation of appropriate policies for improving land use planning.

Suggested Citation

  • Joachim Ayiiwe Abungba & Kwaku Amaning Adjei & Charles Gyamfi & Samuel Nii Odai & Santosh Murlidhar Pingale & Deepak Khare, 2022. "Implications of Land Use/Land Cover Changes and Climate Change on Black Volta Basin Future Water Resources in Ghana," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-17, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2022:i:19:p:12383-:d:928747
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jawad Taleb Al-Bakri & Mohammad Salahat & Ayman Suleiman & Marwan Suifan & Mohammad R. Hamdan & Saeb Khresat & Tarek Kandakji, 2013. "Impact of Climate and Land Use Changes on Water and Food Security in Jordan: Implications for Transcending “The Tragedy of the Commons”," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 5(2), pages 1-25, February.
    2. Aditya Sood & Lal Muthuwatta & Matthew McCartney, 2013. "A SWAT evaluation of the effect of climate change on the hydrology of the Volta River basin," Water International, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 38(3), pages 297-311, May.
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