Effect of land use and land cover changes on water quality in the Nawuni Catchment of the White Volta Basin, Northern Region, Ghana

The degradation of surface water by anthropogenic activities is a global phenomenon. Surface water in the upper Crocodile River has been deteriorating over the past few decades by increased anthropogenic land use and land cover changes as areas of non-point sources of contamination. This study aimed to assess the spatial variation of physicochemical parameters and potentially toxic elements (PTEs) contamination in the Crocodile River influenced by land use and land cover change. 12 surface water samplings were collected every quarter from April 2017 to July 2018 and were analyzed by inductive coupled plasma spectrometry-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Landsat and Spot images for the period of 1999–2009 - 2018 were used for land use and land cover change detection for the upper Crocodile River catchment. Supervised approach with maximum likelihood classifier was used for the classification and generation of LULC maps for the selected periods. The results of the surface water concentrations of PTEs in the river are presented in order of abundance from Mn in October 2017 (0.34 mg/L), followed by Cu in July 2017 (0,21 mg/L), Fe in April 2017 (0,07 mg/L), Al in July 2017 (0.07 mg/L), while Zn in April 2017, October 2017 and April 2018 (0.05 mg/L). The concentrations of PTEs from water analysis reveal that Al, (0.04 mg/L), Mn (0.19 mg/L) and Fe (0.14 mg/L) exceeded the stipulated permissible threshold limit of DWAF (< 0.005 mg/L, 0.18 mg/L and 0.1 mg/L) respectively for aquatic environments. The values for Mn (0.19 mg/L) exceeded the permissible threshold limit of the US-EPA of 0.05 compromising the water quality trait expected to be good. Seasonal analysis of the PTEs concentrations in the river was significant (p > 0.05) between the wet season and the dry season. The spatial distribution of physicochemical parameters and PTEs were strongly correlated (p > 0.05) being influenced by different land use type along the river. Analysis of change detection suggests that; grassland, cropland and water bodies exhibited an increase of 26 612, 17 578 and 1 411 ha respectively, with land cover change of 23.42%, 15.05% and 1.18% respectively spanning from 1999 to 2018. Bare land and built-up declined from 1999 to 2018, with a net change of - 42 938 and − 2 663 ha respectively witnessing a land cover change of −36.81% and − 2.29% respectively from 1999 to 2018. In terms of the area under each land use and land cover change category observed within the chosen period, most significant annual change was observed in cropland (2.2%) between 1999 to 2009. Water bodies also increased by 0.1% between 1999 to 2009 and 2009 to 2018 respectively. Built-up and grassland witness an annual change rate in land use and land cover change category only between 2009 to 2018 of 0.1% and 2.7% respectively. This underscores a massive transformation driven by anthropogenic activities given rise to environmental issues in the Crocodile River catchment.

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Effects of land use and land cover changes on water quality in the uMngeni river catchment, South Africa

Physics and Chemistry of the Earth Parts A/B/C ◽

10.1016/j.pce.2018.03.013 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 105 ◽

pp. 247-264 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Jean Nepomuscene Namugize ◽

Graham Jewitt ◽

Mark Graham

Keyword(s):

South Africa ◽

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Land Cover Changes ◽

River Catchment ◽

Effects Of Land Use

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Impact of land use/land cover changes on water quality and hydrological behavior of an agricultural subwatershed

Environmental Earth Sciences ◽

10.1007/s12665-015-4550-0 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 74 (6) ◽

pp. 5373-5382 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Maria Lúcia Calijuri ◽

Jackeline de Siqueira Castro ◽

Luma Soares Costa ◽

Paula Peixoto Assemany ◽

José Ernesto Mattos Alves

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Land Cover Changes ◽

Land Use Land Cover

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Land use and land cover changes in Zêzere watershed (Portugal) — Water quality implications

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.092 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 527-528 ◽

pp. 439-447 ◽

Cited By ~ 37

Author(s):

B.M. Meneses ◽

R. Reis ◽

M.J. Vale ◽

R. Saraiva

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Land Cover Changes

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Determination of the Connectedness of Land Use, Land Cover Change to Water Quality Status of a Shallow Lake: A Case of Lake Kyoga Basin, Uganda

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su14010372 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (1) ◽

pp. 372

Author(s):

John Peter Obubu ◽

Seyoum Mengistou ◽

Robinson Odong ◽

Tadesse Fetahi ◽

Tena Alamirew

Keyword(s):

Water Quality ◽

Land Use ◽

Land Cover ◽

Land Cover Change ◽

Quality Data ◽

Land Cover Changes ◽

Land Use Land Cover ◽

Statistical Tool ◽

Water Quality Data

Catchments for aquatic ecosystems connect to the water quality of those waterbodies. Land use land cover change activities in the catchments, therefore, play a significant role in determining the water quality of the waterbodies. Research on the relationship between land use and land cover changes and water quality has gained global prominence. Therefore, this study aimed at determining land use, land cover changes in the catchments of L. Kyoga basin, and assessing their connectedness to the lake’s water quality. The GIS software was used to determine eight major land use and land cover changes for 2000, 2010, and 2020. Meanwhile, water quality data was obtained through both secondary and primary sources. Spearman correlation statistical tool in SPSS was used to correlate the land use, land cover changes, and water quality changes over the two-decade study period. The results showed that different land use and land cover activities strongly correlated with particular water quality parameters. For example, agriculture correlated strongly with nutrients like TP, TN, and nitrates and turbidity, TSS, BOD, and temp. The correlation with nitrates was statistically significant at 0.01 confidence limit. The findings of this study agreed with what other authors had found in different parts of the world. The results show that to manage the water quality of L. Kyoga, management of land use, land cover activities in the catchment should be prioritized. Therefore, the results are helpful to decision and policy makers and relevant stakeholders responsible for water management.

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