Class dynamics and relationship between land-use systems and surface temperature in south-eastern Ghana

A fifty-year study of land cover changes in Ghana’s south-eastern region is conducted to identify major shifts and new avenues for justifiable growth and development. This study sought to assess the historical changes (1970–2020) associated with the region’s land use systems, topography and land surface temperature. It further investigated the relationship between some given remotely sensed variables using autocorrelation and geoinformatics. Findings proved socio-political and economic factors have caused massive shift in land cover and prevailing climatic conditions through increasing settlements and migration, the extensiveness of agriculture, poverty, unregulated and unreported logging of trees, small-scale mining intensification, and weak governance systems. We discovered that the natural vegetation had dramatically reduced (− 52.01%), whilst built-up (+ 406.05%), farmlands/shrubs (+ 86.47%), and waterbodies (+ 47.35) were faced with a drastic increase. Class contribution rates show built environment massively influenced land modification, compared to other surveyed classes. In light of the major influences observed, it can be concluded that dynamics in land-use systems caused a substantial drift in local temperature. Temperature and built-up index correlated strongly (R2 =0.959,  p < .0001) , whilst depicting a negative association against vegetation (R2 =0.959,  p < .0001) and water index (R2 = 0.958, p < .0001). Variance assessment proved that the linear correlation model for the understudied elements is suitable. The study provides policy guidance amid sustainability concerns on streamlining land use activities in development planning and preservation of forests and river ecosystems that protect flora and fauna to enhance biodiversity and sustainable use of land and water resources.