Research Proposal
Masters Thesis Proposal Presentation
By
SAIBA AZIZ
Research Topic
Analysis of Desertification in the Bawku Traditional Area
using GIS/Remote Sensing and Farmers Perspective
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Background
• Desertification is a serious environmental and socio-economic problem
affecting huge territories at global, regional and local scale.
 Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), held in 1992
provided acceptable definition as land degradation in arid, semi-arid,
and dry sub-humid areas resulting from various factors, including
climate variations and human activities (cited in Darkoh, 1998).
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Background
 According to United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 1992 cited in
Darkoh, 1996), the anthropogenic causes of desertification include over
cultivation, overgrazing, deforestation and poor irrigation practices .
 Desertification has affected about 35 million km2 of land globally and
overall, 35% of the Earth’s land surface was at risk of been desertified
(Nicholson, 1998)
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Background
The world loses over 6 million hectares of its land per year by desertification
(Haktanir K, A. Karaca, Omar. S. M. , 2014)
Water scarcity, poverty, and migration have all increased due to the rapid
spread of desertification. These problems have threatened human survival
and sustainable economic development (Wang, 2004; El-Karouri, 1986;
Bullock, 1996).
The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has estimated that
approximately 38 million km2 of land worldwide is prone to desertification
of which 6.9 million km2 (19%) are in sub-Saharan Africa (Nana-Sinkam,
1995).
Ghana is among the many African countries that are hugely affected by
desertification (Gyasi et al.2006).
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Background
 EPA in 2013 indicated that 35% (about 83,489 km2) of the total land area of
Ghana is prone to desertification with the Upper East and eastern part of
Northern Region facing the greatest hazard.
 land degradation in Ghana is estimated to be equivalent to 9.6% of the country’s
GDP (World Bank 2007).
 Desertification manifests itself in the area in the form of low income and loss of
livelihoods, famine and increased out-migration due to low soil productivity and
crop yields (Armah et al.2011).

Inline with that Nsiah-Gyabaah 1994; EPA 2005; IFPRI 2007 posited that
desertification is consuming the Sahel-Sudan savannah transitional zone of the
region at an alarming rate, undermining livelihood supporting systems, as well
as threatening food security of the area and forcing people to migrate.
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Problem Statement
 Desertification has over the years been earmarked as a considerable life threatening
environmental hazard in the Bawku traditional area of Ghana, as it constantly puts
considerable stress on the poor and marginalized peasant farmers in the community.
 Farmers in this part of the country have severally lamented about the abating environmental
and soil conditions including harsh climatic conditions and depleting soil productiveness,
which is suppressing agricultural outputs.
 Bawku traditional area which used to be the hub of food crops production and animals rearing
in the region has obviously lost its prominence due to desertification
 The storming erotic desert conditions in the community has afflicted majority of the
constituents with live threatening circumstance including poverty, famine, water shortage and
many devastating conditions.
 Majority of the young and industrious youth migrate to the southern sector in pursue of jobs in
order to make a honest living (EPA 1994 and 2005).
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Problem Statement
 Those who remain at home continue to engage in activities including illegal mining,
nomadic pastoralism, charcoal burning, improper farming practices, deforestation for
fuel wood, and many more in attempt to adapt to the situation.
 Yiran et al (2012) supported the assessment for which he indicated that Signals in the
region justify that projects/interventions on combating desertification in the region
have had little impact, because the local people are still driving land degradation
through unsustainable practices.
 The Food and Agricultural Organization, 2013 also attributed the limited success at
combating desertification in the region to the general uncertainty about the origins,
extent, and gravity of the desertification process.
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Problem Statement
 (Reeves et al., 2001; Lillesand et al., 2004). Also argued that technologies such as
remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) holds the key to
combating desertification in the future.
 Dejene et al. (1997) posited that understanding farmers’ or land users’ perception on
land degradation and project interventions and embracing their perspectives through
strategically planned approaches is essential for successful restoration of land
degradation and desertification .
 That notwithstanding little has been done on blending both remote sensing and
ground findings to analyze desertification in the Bawku Area.
 Though Alex B. Owusu in 2013 attempted, he focused on the extend or
quantification of the phenomenon in the Upper East Region using remote sensing
and GIS.
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Problem Statement
 Osman Fuseini, 2014 also focused on combating desertification in the Bawku West
District
 However, investigating the evidence of desertification in the Bawku area has gained
little attention.
 Essentially, regarding the inconsistency in impacts, vulnerability, intensity and
variability of desertification over space and time, it is highly prudent for
desertification to be considered in local or community level.
 It is however against this background that this study seeks to employ both GIS/
Remote sensing method and ground findings from the perspective of farmers to
analyze desertification with focus on evidence, impact and adaptation strategies in
the Bawku traditional area taking inspiration from Yiran et al (2012) ; (Reeves et al.,
2001; Lillesand et al., 2004) and Dejene et al. (1997)
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Research Objectives
Main objective
 The main objective of this study, is to analyze the evidence of
desertification in the Bawku Traditional Area.
Specific objectives
 To investigate the anthropogenic causes of desertification in the
region
 To find out the impact of desertification on the livelihood of
farmers in the Bawku traditional area.
 To discuss the adaptation strategies to mitigate the impact of
desertification on Agriculture in the Bawku Traditional Area.
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Research Questions
 What are the evidences of desertification in the Bawku Traditional
Area?
 What are the anthropogenic causes of desertification in the Bawku
Traditional Area?
 What are the impacts of desertification on agriculture in the Bawku
Traditional Area?
 What are the adaptation strategies employed by farmers to mitigate
the impact of desertification on agriculture in the Bawku traditional
area?
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Significance of the study
 The study will bring to light, the conditions of
desertification in Bawku area
 Serve as a road map for policy makers in drafting planning
policies and programs to dealing with desertification.
 As secondary data for prospective researchers
 Uncover research gaps recommended for further studies
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Scope of the Study
 The study will cover only the five administrative districts
that make up Bawku traditional
 And will only include farmers who have resided in the
study area for 30 years and above.
 Selection is based on their geographical location
 Also based on the intensive agricultural activities
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Justification of the study
 Agriculture remains the driving force of every economy in the world and especially
in Africa, it remains the heart of most economies, contributing significantly to
national output and serving as the major source of livelihood to a large portion of
the populace Mensah, K. C. et al, 2019.
 Agriculture is reported to be a major source of livelihood to a large number of
Ghanaians where small-scale farming accounts for 80% of domestic production
especially, in the Bawku traditional area Mensah, K. C. et al, 2019.

Employs close to 60% of the formal and informal labor force and contributing
about 30% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Ghana Mensah, K. C. et al,
2019.
 Researchers, governmental and nongovernment organizations have often pointed at
finding lasting solution to the challenges facing agriculture in the country.
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Justification of the study
 Desertification plays a significant role in this respect and hence,
the need for the study on desertification toward remitting its impact
on livelihood systems in the country.
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Literature Review
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In the main work, literature will be viewed extensively under the following themes
Meaning of desertification
Trend of climatic variables including precipitation and temperature in the region
Changes in vegetation over time
Evidence of desertification
Causes of desertification
Impact of desertification
Adaptation strategies to mitigating the impact of desertification
There will be theoretical framework to guide the study
Theoretical framework
Mediterranean Desertification and Land Use (MEDLAUS) model of desertification
This model identifies environmentally sensitive areas to be considered in
desertification analysis either in national , regional or local scale
These ESA include; climate quality, vegetation quality, soil quality and management
quality (human actions).
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Literature Review
Conceptual Framework
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Methodology
The Study Area
 Location and size
 Absolutely located between latitudes 10° 30′ to 11° 1’ north of the equator and
longitudes 0° 06′ east to 0° 40′ west of the Greenwich Meridian
 land area of about 2848 km2,
 Total population of about 384,151, the area makes up about 36.7% of the UER
population.
 Climate
Interior continental climatic zone of Ghana; long dry period and short unimordal
wet period (May to September)
 Vegetation
Sudan savanna
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Map of the study area
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Methodology
Research Approach
 The study will adapt both the positivist and the interpretativist paradigms
as it seeks to employ the qualitative and quantitative mix method in the
data collection and analysis process.
Research Design
 The study will adapt the case study design.
Sample population
The sample population shall include all farmers who have resided in the
Bawku traditional area for 30 years and above.
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Methodology
Sample size
 Using the Yamane equation, 400 respondents will be selected from the sample
population to take part in the study
Yamane's equation = N / 1+ N(e)2
 Therefore, with the population size of (N) 384151 and 0.05 margin of error (e)
N = 384151/ 1+ 384151(0.05)2 = 400
Sampling technique/procedure
 2 towns each from the five district using stratified random sampling technique;
total of 10 towns
 40 respondents each from the 10 selected towns using purposive sampling
technique; total of 400 respondents and Agric extension officers form each of the
communities selected
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Methodology
 Purposively, climatic data will be obtained from the Ghana Methodological
Agency for 18 year period; 1990-2018.
 High resolution images will be downloaded from GNSS for vegetation analysis.
Types and Sources of Data
 The study shall make use of both primary and secondary data
 Research Instruments
 Questionnaires, Observation, Semi – structured interviews and Informal
interaction.
 Questionnaire will included both close and open ended questions geared toward
providing answers to the objectives
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Methodology
Data analysis and presentation
 Quantitative
 Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Version 20)
 GIS and remote sensing software
Presentation
Frequency distribution tables, charts, graphs and maps
 Qualitative data
Analyzed using discourse analysis.
Hence, recorded data will be transcribed, Data form observation, semi-structured
interview and informal interaction will be analyzed thematically
Presentation
Quotations, Pictures and Words or Sentences
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Methodology
Analysis of climatic data
 SPSS will be used to conduct trend analysis of climatic
variables (Temperature, precipitation and humidity) from
1990 to 2018
 Mann-Kendall (MK) trend test will be applied to analyze
the annual rainfall and temperature values to determine
the statistical trend in the dataset.
 Results will be presented in tables and graphs
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Methodology
Analysis of vegetation data
 GIS and remote sensing methods will be used to analyze the
vegetation trend in the Bawku traditional area from 19902018.
 Normalize Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) will be used
E.g Tahira Abbasova, 2010; Bai Xulian, 2017.
 Results will be presented in tables, graphs and maps
 Qualitative data on vegetation will be analyzed thematically
and presented in pictures, words and quotes
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Ethical Consideration
 Permission through informed concern form
 No force or coercion.
 To anonymity and confidentiality will be ensured
 Respect for Cultural values, norms and traditions
 Citation and acknowledgment of secondary sources.
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Appreciation
Thank You
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