Abstract:
ABSTRACT
Coastal ecosystems in urban areas provide critical services that support
biodiversity and improve the livelihoods of coastal communities. However,
pressures of increasing urbanization and industrialization in urban areas
reduce their economic value by limiting their ability to provide needed
ecosystem services. The need to underscore the impacts land-use changes in
urban coastal wetlands could have on societal and ecological conditions
necessitated this study. The Butuah wetland in the Sekondi Takoradi
Metropolitan Area (STMA) was selected as the study site following the recent
surge in urbanization and industrial activities in the region upon the discovery
of oil in commercial quantities in 2007. The study involved the mapping of
wetland types using high-resolution satellite images, analysis of changes in
landscape pattern using the FragStats software, the estimation of Total
Economic Value (TEV) of the resources, stakeholder analysis and a risk
assessment of the ecosystems in the wetland using the InVEST HRA model.
The study revealed that three-quarters of the Butuah lagoon has been lost over
a period of 14 years i.e. between 2007 and 2021. High fragmentation in the
various habitats of the wetland had led to a decrease in landscape diversity.
Furthermore, the TEV of the wetland was estimated to be
$974.54/individual/ha/year although anthropogenic stressors such as refuse
dumping, overgrazing and deforestation continue to threaten the resources.
The study calls for rapid implementation of conservation plans for the area and
an inclusion of stakeholders in management plans to promote sustainable
development.
