Spatiotemporal land use changes dynamics impacts on natural reserves in West African dryland: Drivers, carbon emissions and climate change implications

Publication Type

Journal Article

Name of Author

Issaka Abdou Razakou Kiribou, Africa Center of Excellence for Climate Smart Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation (ACE Climate-SABC), Haramaya University, EthiopiaFollow
Kangbéni Dimobe, Départment des Eaux, Forêts et Environnement, Insititut des Sciences de l'Environnement et du Développement Rural (ISEDR), Université Daniel Ouezzin Coulibaly, BP 176, Dédougou, Burkina Faso
Charles Lamoussa Sanou, West African Science Service Center on Climate Change and Adapted Land Use (WASCAL), Competence Center, Boulevard Mouammar Kadafi, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Sintayehu W. Dejene, International Center for Tropical Agriculture, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Publication Date (Issue Year)

2025

Journal Name

Environmental and Sustainability Indicators

Abstract

Land use change (LUC), primarily driven by anthropogenic pressure, poses a major threat to West African drylands’ vegetation. As critical indicators of ecosystem sustainability, LUC patterns reflect how human activities alter carbon dynamics and climate vulnerability. This systematic review analyzes the spatial and temporal dynamics of LUC impacts on natural reserves. Using targeted keywords, 18 peer-reviewed articles and institutional reports were synthesized to assess LUC patterns, identify key biophysical and socio-economic drivers, and evaluate carbon and climate implications. Findings show substantial losses of natural ecosystems due to land conversion, deforestation, and soil degradation. Between 1975 and 2013, Sahelian savanna, woodland, and gallery forest declined by 23 %, 40.79 % and 23.92 %, respectively, while agricultural land, settlements, and sandy areas (Bare Soil) expanded by 91.8 %, 115 % and 49.9 %. From 2000 to 2022, 6.64 % of protected areas were converted, with the highest rates in the Gambia and Mauritania. Burkina Faso and Senegal emerged as carbon emission hotspots. These ecological shifts disrupt the regional carbon cycle and heighten climate vulnerability. Despite the pivotal role of drylands in carbon cycling, major gaps remain in monitoring and modeling LUC-related emissions. Addressing these requires improved spatial indicators, region-specific emission factors, and policy-oriented land management frameworks. Strengthening the science-policy interface is vital to ensure these indicators effectively guide sustainable land governance and climate adaptation strategies in West African drylands.

Keywords

Carbon emissions, Climate change, Land use, changeDrylands, Protected areas, West africa

Rsif Scholar Name

Issaka Abdou Razakou KIRIBOU  

Rsif Scholar Nationality

Burkina Faso

Cohort

Cohort 4

Thematic Area

Climate Change

Africa Host University (AHU)

Haramaya University, Ethiopia

Funding Statement

This work was supported by the Partnership for Skills in Applied Sciences, Engineering, and Technology Regional Scholarship Innovation Funds/PASET-RSIF (https://www.rsif-paset.org/) with fund number ICIPE_RS192. We are grateful to PASET-RSIF for the financial support. We are also grateful to the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) at the University of Greenwich, United Kingdom, for their guidance during our internship. We also thank our colleagues, PhD students from Haramaya University.

Recommended Citation

Kiribou, I. A., Dimobe, K., Sanou, C. L., & Dejene, S. W. (2025). Spatiotemporal land use changes dynamics impacts on natural reserves in West African dryland: Drivers, carbon emissions and climate change implications. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators https://doi.org/doi.org/10.1016/j.indic.2025.101004