Vegetation loss of the muni coastal lagoon: Implications for ecosystem services and climate impacts

Abstract

Coastal lagoons are highly productive ecosystems protected under laws of conservations. They provide extensive ecosystem services including fisheries, aquaculture, storm protection and tourism. In spite of the ecological, social, economic and cultural values of coastal lagoons, they suffer multiple pressures that threaten their ecological integrity and function. Population growth and its attendant increased demand for resources, expansion of the built environment to the fringes of such ecosystems and the production of waste are placing coastal lagoons’ ecosystems at the risk of collapse. Relying on Landsat satellite images of Land Cover of the Muni lagoon catchment of the Effutu Municipality of Ghana from 1993 to 2023 alongside field observations, the paper examines vegetation loss and land cover changes and how the observed changes influence/affects the lagoon’s ability to function and provide its ecological and socio-economic services. It was observed that apart from grassland which has steadily increased over the last three decades, marshes and mangroves have consistently reduced in size, from 21% of the total land cover in 1993 to 11% in 2003 and 10% in 2013 to 7% in 2023. A projected analysis of the different land cover for the next decade [2023–2033] indicated further shrinking of the mangrove and size of the lagoon itself. While the lagoon remains viable regarding some of the services it provides, losing mangroves, marshes and swamps have implications for the lagoon’s water holding capacity and ecosystem services it provides. This is especially against the backdrop of dangers posed to coastal communities by sea encroachment arising from climate-induced sea level rise.