Analysis of human activities in and around protected areas (PAs): Case of Kakum conservation area in Ghana

This study was conducted around Kakum Conservation Area (KCA) to investigate the effect of human activities in 5 km belt of KCA on the ecological functioning and conservation of the PA, as well as effect of KCA on local livelihood. Supervised classification of multi-spectral ASTER imagery was used to determine land-use/cover types in the study area. Open ended questionnaires, group discussions and key informant interviews were conducted among 120 respondents from 40 sampled communities. Classification of the ASTER imagery provided a description of the dominant human activities around KCA. Regression analysis showed that distance was 20% responsible for variance in illegal activities in the PA. Correlation analysis further showed a positive but insignificant relationship between the size of population in communities and illegal activities in KCA. The major impact was from elephant raiding, whereas loss of access to important natural resources was considered as the other significant stressor. Key words: Ecological functioning, conservation, fringe communities, imagery, classification, illegal activities, land-use/cover types, livelihood.