Land use transitions and tenure dynamics in Ghana's savannah: Exploring the socio-environmental nexus in West Gonja

Land tenure insecurity remains an important, yet underexplored factor associated with land-use behaviour and landscape change in Ghana's savannah ecological zone, where customary and statutory land governance systems coexist in tension. This study examines how land tenure arrangements are associated with land-use decisions and land cover dynamics in the West Gonja Municipality. The study employed a mixed-methods approach, integrating geospatial analysis with Participatory Rural Appraisal techniques. The findings revealed a substantial reduction in closed savannah cover, from 62.1% in 2000 to 50.5% in 2024, alongside increases in farmland, open savannah, and shrub/grassland. When interpreted alongside the qualitative evidence, these patterns were associated with areas characterized by insecure or undocumented land tenure. Participants consistently reported that smallholder and migrant farmers facing uncertain land rights were less willing to undertake long-term ecological investments, instead prioritizing short-term livelihood strategies such as charcoal production, slash-and-burn agriculture, and early cropping to maintain land claims. Conversely, farmers who perceived their tenure as secure, even without formal land titles, reported greater willingness to adopt conservation-oriented practices, including tree retention, fallowing, and soil management. Although the study does not establish a direct causal relationship between tenure insecurity and observed land-cover change, the convergence of geospatial and qualitative evidence suggests that insecure tenure creates conditions that discourage long-term environmental stewardship. The findings support tenure-sensitive approaches to landscape restoration and governance, particularly measures that strengthen coordination between customary and statutory institutions and improve the stability and recognition of land rights for vulnerable land users.