Abstract
Demands for ecosystem services such as food and clean water are growing with concurrent human actions diminishing the capability of many ecosystems to meet these demands. In West Africa, coastal watershed ecosystems are subject to many pressures (e.g., land-use change, resource demands, and population changes); their extent and pattern of distribution is changing, and landscapes are becoming more fragmented. In this context, we review the current state and analyze the drivers of change in coastal watershed ecosystem goods and services in West Africa (Ghana and Nigeria). Based on identified critical drivers of change- “climate change” and “socio-economic”, we present possible scenario for effective management of coastal watershed ecosystem services. Whilst there is an urgent need to safeguard ecosystem services, policy goals leading to sustainable management of coastal watershed ecosystems for delivery of ecosystem services need to be established and implemented at both international and national levels.
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Agboola, J.I., Odunuga, S. (2015). Coastal Watershed Ecosystem Services Management in West Africa: Case of Ghana and Nigeria. In: Chicharo, L., Müller, F., Fohrer, N. (eds) Ecosystem Services and River Basin Ecohydrology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9846-4_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9846-4_13
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