Park Management in Ghana Using Geographic Information Systems ( GIS ) and Remote Sensing Technology
| Author: | Twumasi, Yaw A. | |
| Year: | 2005 | |
| Pages: | 388 | |
| ISBN: | 0-7734-5990-1 978-0-7734-5990-8 | |
| Price: | $239.95 + shipping | |
| (Click the PayPal button to buy) | ||
Effective management of natural resources, especially National Parks requires accurate and up-to-date information to guide park managers in making appropriate decision. The core of this book is to provide such information using GIS and remote sensing technologies to guide policy development in managing protected areas in Ghana. Some lessons and constraints are drawn from experiences of both developed and developing countries to understand how GIS and remote sensing technologies could assist with park management in Ghana. It is intended that the book would provide background data and operational research tools for the protected area managers, foresters, researchers, students and all those wishing further to investigate applications of remote sensing for planning nature reserves and natural resources.
Reviews
“This work is an important text that makes significant contributions to the study of climate change and the effects of deforestation of tropical forest on the global environment ... Developing countries like Ghana still rely on its forest to provide a large percentage of its gross national product in the form of timber exports. The author lists some of the major causes of forest degradation in developing countries and offers state-of-the-art technologies to assist natural resource managers in these countries to monitor and inventory its forest. Remote sensing imagery coupled with GIS technology is a proven technique used to inventory and monitor large areas that are both economical and feasible for developing countries. This technology is ideally suited for developing countries that have limited personal and financial resources dedicated to forest inventory and monitoring activities. These technologies also are very useful in helping managers to establish policies specifically aimed at preserving its national forests and parks for future generations.” – Tommy L. Coleman, Professor of Soil Science and Remote Sensing/GIS and Director of the Center for Hydrology, Soil Climatology and Remote Sensing (HSCaRS),Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University
“Major multilateral research initiatives have attempted to address aspects of the imminent crisis facing the world’s forests ... By providing the reader with detailed case studies of National Parks in Ghana, Dr. Yaw Twumasi also offers a rare insightful glimpse into the nuances of park management and to the prospects of park sustainability, under adverse local, national and international circumstances. This book should be of service to a wide array of audiences. Dr. Twumasi's contribution to the literature is singular and important in that he exhaustively reviews and analyzes global forest degradation, with particular emphasis on the developing countries.” – Gilbert L. Rochon,Ph.D., MPH, Associate Vice President, Collaborative Research & Engagement Information Technology, Discovery Group, and Director of Purdue Terrestrial Observatory, Purdue University
“This book ... is a timely and much needed contribution to the international literature on park and forest management, using modern techniques of satellite remote sensing and GIS. It contributes in an important way to filling the gap between the global policy debate and practicalities faced by park and forest managers in the developing world. By combining the best of his international experience at the forefront of applied remote sensing and GIS, using modern Earth Observation System satellites, with experiences in his home country (Ghana), the author bridges the divide between international theorists and officials responsible for day-to-day implementation of practical park management. This book will be useful to development agencies, government agencies dealing with natural resource management and to students in a range of geography, environmental, social and development studies. The author is to be congratulated on this fresh and useful contribution to the contemporary remote sensing and environmental management literature. I am sure that this volume will enthuse and inspire other African students and scholars in a quest for sustainability in Africa and globally, and become a much paged reference for government and other officials devising and implementing sustainable strategies for park and forest management.” – Harold Annegarn, Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
“Major multilateral research initiatives have attempted to address aspects of the imminent crisis facing the world’s forests ... By providing the reader with detailed case studies of National Parks in Ghana, Dr. Yaw Twumasi also offers a rare insightful glimpse into the nuances of park management and to the prospects of park sustainability, under adverse local, national and international circumstances. This book should be of service to a wide array of audiences. Dr. Twumasi's contribution to the literature is singular and important in that he exhaustively reviews and analyzes global forest degradation, with particular emphasis on the developing countries.” – Gilbert L. Rochon,Ph.D., MPH, Associate Vice President, Collaborative Research & Engagement Information Technology, Discovery Group, and Director of Purdue Terrestrial Observatory, Purdue University
“This book ... is a timely and much needed contribution to the international literature on park and forest management, using modern techniques of satellite remote sensing and GIS. It contributes in an important way to filling the gap between the global policy debate and practicalities faced by park and forest managers in the developing world. By combining the best of his international experience at the forefront of applied remote sensing and GIS, using modern Earth Observation System satellites, with experiences in his home country (Ghana), the author bridges the divide between international theorists and officials responsible for day-to-day implementation of practical park management. This book will be useful to development agencies, government agencies dealing with natural resource management and to students in a range of geography, environmental, social and development studies. The author is to be congratulated on this fresh and useful contribution to the contemporary remote sensing and environmental management literature. I am sure that this volume will enthuse and inspire other African students and scholars in a quest for sustainability in Africa and globally, and become a much paged reference for government and other officials devising and implementing sustainable strategies for park and forest management.” – Harold Annegarn, Professor, Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
Table of Contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Literature Review of the Global Forest Degradation and Monitoring
2. Park Management around the Globe: Problems and Challenges
3. A Review of GIS and Remote Sensing Applications to Park Management
4. The Development of Parks, Reserves and Monitoring in Ghana
5. Development of a Database for Kakum National Park Using Remote Sensing and GIS
6. How to Use GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques to Manage Parks in Ghana: Some Illustrations from Kakum
7. The Digya National Park
8. Models for Climate Change in Digya National Park and its Environment
9. Socio-Economic Drivers of Deforestation in Digya National Park
10. How to use Digya Study to develop Park Policy
11. Discussion and Recommendations
12. Conclusions
Appendices – A-L
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgements
Introduction
1. Literature Review of the Global Forest Degradation and Monitoring
2. Park Management around the Globe: Problems and Challenges
3. A Review of GIS and Remote Sensing Applications to Park Management
4. The Development of Parks, Reserves and Monitoring in Ghana
5. Development of a Database for Kakum National Park Using Remote Sensing and GIS
6. How to Use GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques to Manage Parks in Ghana: Some Illustrations from Kakum
7. The Digya National Park
8. Models for Climate Change in Digya National Park and its Environment
9. Socio-Economic Drivers of Deforestation in Digya National Park
10. How to use Digya Study to develop Park Policy
11. Discussion and Recommendations
12. Conclusions
Appendices – A-L
Bibliography
Index