Land Degradation and Economic Activities:
Linkages and Impacts in the TalensiNabdam District (TND), Ghana
By
Peter Dok Tindan*
Divine Odame Appiah
Outline of presentation
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Introduction
Problem in context
Theoretical basis of study
Research methods
Results and Discussions
Conclusion
Recommendations
References
Introduction
Sound
and sustainable environmental
management is a great challenge in this 21st
century (Gausset and Whyte, 2005).
Land
degradation is variedly understood
(Eswaran et al., 2001; Adams, 2009).
Conventionally,
argued as “decline in
productivity of land” (Scherr and Yadav,
1996;Abass, 2007; UNEP, 2007).
Introduction cont’d
Land
degradation has affected economic
activities worldwide (Global Environment
Facility, 2003).
Human
economic activities are also argued
to have caused decline in land quality
(Eswaran et al., 2001).
We
explore this complex interrelationship
between land degradation and economic
activities in the Talensi-Nabdam District.
Problem statement
 Land
degradation is a social, economic
environmental problem in TND (Adams, 2009).
and
 It
is a real challenge in TND, because of the fragility
of the environment and the connection with human
economic activities (TNDA, 2010; UNEP)
 Economic
activities in rural districts are predicated
on natural resources, land, (Mayers and Vermeulen,
2002; TEEB 2010), Our operational connotation of
economic activities “predominant primary economic
activities, are livelihoods and economic gain in study
area”.
Problem statement cont’d
agriculture; wood
fuel production; hunting;
illegal mining (galamsey); gravel and sand
wining, amongst others.
Though
extraction is important for
human survival and maintenance, the
increased human footprints (McCarthy,
2009), particularly land degradation is a
call for greater concern (TNDA, 2010).
Theoretical basis of the study
 The
complex interrelationships between environment,
economy and society (Adams, 2009).
 Malthusian theory, increased population (human
activities) for the demise of natural resource (Gausset
and Whyte, 2005).

Environment
land
degradation
Human activities
Society
Economy
Research methods (profile of study area)
Research methods cont’d
 The
cross-sectional design (Bryman, 2008).
 Mixed research strategy (triangulation)
 Both primary and secondary data types
 A purposive sample of 140 household precoded questionnaires in communities
 Ten (10) Semi-structured interviews for
district dept. of Food and Agriculture (MOFA
 quantitative data analyzing (SPSS) and
qualitative data, thematically (inferential and
descriptive statistics).
Results and Discussions
 Perception
of Land degradation in Talensi-Nabdam
Table 1Extent of land degradation
Extent of degradation
Percent (%)
Very severe degradation
50
Severe degradation
48
No or less severe
degradation
2
Source: Fieldwork, 2011
The severity, impact and prediction of Land degradation debated
(Eswaran et al., 2001), this is true in TND.That notwithstanding,
Results and Discussions cont’d
 The
perception of land degradation is highly
linked with processes driven by the major land
use types (economic activities) in the locality.
Types of Land use N=140
Crop farming
Rearing of livestock
Wood fuel production
Hunting
Others
Total
Source: Fieldwork, 2011
103
18
8
4
7
Percent
74
12
6
3
5
100
Results and discussion cont’d
Table 4.1 Major processes of land degradation
Major causes of land
N= 140
Percentage
degradation
distribution
Bush burning
62
44
Deforestation
32
24
Soil erosion
30
21
Bad farming practice
12
9
Others
2
2
TOTAL
100
Source: Fieldwork 2011
Invariably, it is conclusive that, land degradation is
directly linked with primary economic activities, (UNEP,
2007).
Pictures
Results and discussions cont’d
 Impacts:
 Loss of soil fertility affecting crop yield.
Table 4.3 Cultivated areas against crop yield
Commo
dity type
Cultivated area (Ha)
Yield (MT/Ha)
2007
2008
2009
2010
2007
2008
2009
2010
Maize
429
1764
4718
1973
0.96
1.6
1.2
1.30
Rice
828
1398
2033
1866
1.28
4.5
4.0
3.1
Millet
1591
3205
5063
1879
0.47
1.0
0.7
0.4
Sorghu
m
Soya
bean
Ground
nut
4482
7866
5164
3044
0.59
1.1
1.1
1.0
1021
864
1912
1199
0.33
0.8
1.0
1.1
4610
3927
2797
4294
0.58
1.2
0.8
0.8
Source: Department of Food and Agriculture (MOFA, Talensi-Nabdam District)
Results and discussions cont’d
 Low
economic development; agriculture
contributes 75% of LGDP (TNDA, 2010)increased poverty and probably cause
enhanced degradation

Lal (1999) 75 billion loss of soil and nutrient
cost the world $400 billion per year.
 Loss
of surface cover (trees and grasses),
economic trees like the Shea butter
(Vitellaria paradoxa); Dawadawa, Baobab
(Andansonia digitata) and Acacia sp.; Neem
(Azadirachta indica) in the district.
Results and discussions cont’d
 Compounds
nutrients loss hence more
dryness of the land (Waugh, 2005; Getis
et al., 2005).
 Increased
money cost and time of
household energy supply (TNDA, 2010).
 Changes
and/or variation in local climate,
(TEEB, 2010).
 The
Conclusions
land in TND is highly degraded and
there is high incidence of continual
degradation- loss of soil fertility and visual
degradation
 Degrading
processes are linked with
primary economic activities; livelihoods and
economic development.
 Loss
of land and it resources will have
greater
implications
for
sustainable
development efforts in the district.
Recommendations
 Appropriate
application of organic manure
and fertilizers, to restore loss and also
prevent the depletion of soil nutrients.
 Diversification of livelihoods; agro-forestry.
 Foster effective licensing for illegal mining;
gravel and sand wining.
 Collaborative efforts on sustainable land use
at community level.
Some references

Eswaran, H., Lal, R. and P.F. Reich (2001) Land degradation: an
overview,
available
at:
http://www.soils.usda.gov/use/worldsoils/.../land-degradationoverview.ht

Global Environment Facility (2003) Operation Program on
Sustainable
Land
Management,
available
at:
www.unccd.int/Lists/SiteDocumentLibrary/...7_2003/annex2b.pdf

Scherr, S. J. and Yadav, S. (1996); Land Degradation in the Developing
World: Implications for Food, Agriculture, and the Environment to
2020, International Food Policy Research Institute, Washington, D.C,
available at: http://www.pdf.usaid.gov/pdf_docs/PNABY622.pdf
Talensi-Nabdam District Assembly (2010) Draft Strategic
Environmental Report for the District Medium Term Development
Plan under the Ghana Shered Growth and Development Agenda
2010-2013, available at:
http://www.ghana.gov.gh/.../1455-district-to-review-medium-term
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING!

Hmmm, is sustainable environment management
possible in the light of increasing poverty?