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Abstract Background African countries are among the most vulnerable and affected by climate change. Comprehending climate change poses a major hurdle for the African population, politicians, and the African Union alike, presenting a substantial challenge for all involved. It is generally accepted that universities and other higher education institutions must play a leading role as drivers of change. Therefore, it is very important that African universities educate students about both mitigation and adaptation measures, develop the necessary initiatives to foster research in climate change-related topics and promote cooperation and alliances with key stakeholders. Results This research reports on a study aimed at identifying the extent to which higher education institutions in Africa are engaging in efforts to deal with the challenges posed by climate change. The objectives were accomplished through a mixed method approach, incorporating a review of literature, an international survey, and the inclusion of selected case studies from African universities that have developed successful initiatives. The research has brought to light significant disparities, such as varying perceptions regarding the potential outcomes of climate change and its associated extreme events in African countries. In addition, the study highlighted areas where there is a notable consensus on specific issues. It also offers a comprehensive view of the different strategies that universities are implementing to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation in several areas. Although there is a growing interest in the need to contribute to the joint task of mitigating the effects of climate change and adapting to its consequences, HEIs need to increase their efforts to enhance the work of their professors and researchers. To this end, the involvement of public authorities and other private sector actors is essential. Conclusions This article outlines some actions that need to be undertaken so that universities may play a more active role in global efforts to handle the problems associated with a changing climate. There is a notable focus from academic actors on addressing climate change challenges in Africa. In addition, there is a proactive emphasis on utilizing science and research to comprehend climate change issues and offer widely applicable tools for adaptation and mitigation to safeguard both people and the environment. Consequently, it is crucial and time-sensitive for African universities to enhance their expertise in the field of climate change, fostering the capacity to conduct innovative research that addresses the various challenges linked to the evolving climate. This study offers several useful lessons for African universities to replicate experiences that have generated results in different countries and contexts.

IntroductionThis paper assessed the changes in the forest cover of the Gbele Resource Reserve from 1990 to 2020. This provides a basis for strengthening management decisions to protect the resources in the Gbele Resource Reserve effectively.MethodsLandsat images for 1990, 2000, 2010 and 2020 were obtained from the United States Geological Service site. They were processed and classified in the System for Earth Observation Data Access, Processing, & Analysis for Land Monitoring (SEPAL), a web-based cloud computing platform. The accuracy of the images was assessed using 50 ground-truth points obtained from the 3-5 meter spatial and near-daily temporal resolution planet satellite images from Norway’s International Climate and Forest Initiative (NICFI). Post classification change detection was used to analyse the changes in land cover from 1990 to 2000, 2000 to 2010 and from 2010 to 2020.ResultsThe analysis revealed that the total forest area was 55273.2 ha. In 1990, 74.9 % of the reserve was open forest and 24.6 % was shrubs/grass. The open forest declined to 65.8 % in 2000 and further to 62.4 % in 2010 while the shrubs/grass cover increased to 35.7 in 2010. As of 2020, the forest increased to 73.6 % while the shrub/grass cover declined to 25.8 %.DiscussionThese changes could be attributed partly to widespread charcoal production in the fringe districts and rose wood harvesting in the early 2000s. charcoal production and rosewood logging have been livelihood sources for fringe communities. The ban on the harvest and exportation of rosewood after 2010 could partly explain the sharp increase in the open forest cover from 2010 to 2020. The changes in the extent of the reserve from 1990 to 2020 revealed that the reserve can vulnerable to excessive exploitation and can also be resilient if deliberate efforts are made to protect it. It is recommended that the fringe district and municipal Assemblies should strengthen the enforcement of the ban on the logging of the rosewood and trees in the reserve for the production of charcoal.

Agroforestry is a land management strategy which interfaces between agriculture and forestry. It is a reliable means to combating climate change in different parts of the world. Although majority of smallholder farmers in Ghana are aware of the benefits associated with agroforestry practice, degradation of trees on farmlands remains a major concern. This study investigates the potential of agroforestry as a climate change mitigation strategy in the Nandom Municipal. Eight (8) agroforestry farms were selected for assessment using the non-destructive method. In each farm, the trees were identified by both scientific and local names. The diameter at breast height and height of the trees were measured. The biomass was estimated using the allometric model developed by Aabeyir et al. (2020). The carbon was estimated from the biomass using a factor of 0.47. The results indicate that carbon sequestration is high among trees species like Lannea velutina, Parkia biglobosa and Vitellaria paradoxa which often have large DBH. The study therefore recommends for nursery and integration of such tree species with smallholder crops for purposes of agroforestry.

This study presents a multi-level analysis of land cover change in the Kintampo Municipality of Ghana using Landsat TM, ETM + and Landsat 8 images from 1986, 2001 and 2014, respectively. The expected and observed annual rates of land cover change for the periods 1986 to 2001 and 2001 to 2014 were analyzed at temporal and intra and inter-land cover levels using post-classification change detection. The results reveal that the expected annual rate of land cover change for the time intervals is 2.55 %. The observed annual rate of change from 2001 to 2014 is 2.63 %, which is greater than the expected value. This shows that land cover changed faster than expected in this period. The observed intra-land cover gains and losses for woodland is 2.49 % which is less than expected for the change periods. This suggests that the observed gain and loss in woodlands are attributable to random changes. The inter-land cover level changes for both periods reveal that when woodland gained or lost, it did not target shrub/grassland. This shows that the process of gain or loss in woodland in both periods was random. This is an indication that woodland cover is sustained by a slow, natural regeneration process and not by anthropogenic activities. The findings highlight the relevance of multilevel land cover analysis in land cover assessment. The temporal level highlights the need to relate changes in land cover to anthropogenic activities for a better understanding of the changes. The study also revealed that multi-level land cover analysis can facilitate management decisions on whether to reduce loss in woodland or increase gain in woodland cover from shrub land.

This paper assessed encroachment of streams due to physical development in Wa Urban Area of the Upper West Region of Ghana. The assessment was informed by the recognition that the roles played by streams in flood control are undermined by physical developments. This affects sustainable urban development and renders the urban area vulnerable to floods. The assessment was based on the 300m buffer zone standard set by the Ghana Water Resources Commission as a protective zone for such streams in the country. It is mandatory to offset all physical development from this zone but that is not the situation on the ground. For the purpose of this study each buffer zone was divided into sub-buffer zones of 100m in order to appreciate how far development has moved into the prohibited buffer zone. The streams and physical structures were mapped with a Trimble GPS receiver while land owners and tenants were purposively selected and interviewed. The buffer zone and sub-buffer zones were defined using GIS and overlaid with map of the physical structures. The categories of structures found in the buffer zones were residential (93.4 %), commercial (5.1%), public (1.3%) and agriculture (0.2%). The results of the study indicates that more than 50 % of physical structures mapped are located in the inner buffer and the land acquisition process for development of these structures amongst others in Wa is mostly initiated by developers.