Thesis - Abstract Supervisors: - Prof. B. Diekkrueger Contribution to the Core Research Program Work-Package: RC 2 - Landscape Dynamics WP 2.3 - Water Scarcity

Researchers in WASCAL, scientists in Ghana and agricultural extension officers in the Upper East Region have been asked for their expert knowledge on different issues related to food and water provision under land use and land cover changes in the Upper East Region. The survey with the scientists in Ghana was conducted between October and November 2015; the survey with WASCAL scientists between December 2015 and May 2016; the survey with agricultural officers between July and August 2016. 37 field officers, 15 scientists in Ghana and 9 scientists in WASCAL have been consulted.

Household socio-economic, population and migration dynamics in the Vea catchment.

Map of discharge stations used by Mouhamed Idrissou for getting runoff data from the Dano Catchment.

The questionnaire was conducted in August 6 - 8, 2014, with 7 PhD and MSc participants of the "First International Conference on Enhancing Resilience to Climate and Ecosystem Changes in Semi-arid Africa" in Tamale, Ghana. The questionnaire was based on a survey on Drivers of Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC), Trends of Land Use Types/Crop Types in the Upper East Region (Ghana), conducted between March and December 2014 with researchers in Ghana.

This table entails the full list of all plots sampled on the woody vegetation on 20x50m plots, which include the documentation of species, measuring allometric data of such species on the plots and other related data.

The questionnaire is about current and future direct and indirect drivers of land use/cover change (LUCC) and trends of land cover and crop types under "business as usual" in the Upper East Region (UER). The questionnaire was conducted between Oct. 2014 and Feb. 2015 and is based on interviews with researchers in Ghana on driving forces of land use change in the Upper East Region, conducted in November 2013.

The questionnaire is about current and future direct and indirect drivers of land use/cover change (LUCC), positive or negative impact of drivers of LUCC on food security and water security and trends of land cover and crop types under "business as usual"in the Upper East Region (UER). The questionnaire has been send by e-mail to researchers (experts) in Ghana who are doing or have done research on land use changes in the Upper East Region. The questionnaire is based on interviews with researchers in Ghana on driving forces of land use change in the Upper East Region, conducted in November 2013.

Livelihood zoning consists in identifying areas where rural people share relatively homogeneous living conditions, on the basis of a combination of biophysical and socio-economic determinants. The main criteria to establish livelihood zones are: the predominant source of income (livelihood activities); the natural resources available to people and the way they are used; and the prevailing agroclimatic conditions that influence farming activities. Patterns of livelihood vary from one area to another, based on local factors such as climate, soil or access to markets. The analysis delineates geographical areas within which people share similar livelihood patterns: source of living, access to food, farming practices, including crops, livestock and access to markets. The map of livelihood zones is the main output from a participatory mapping workshop and forms the basis for the overall AWM assessment. It describes and geographically locates the different country livelihood contexts, focusing on the main smallholders’ livelihood strategies, their water-related problems and other constraints for development, and the role agricultural water management plays for their livelihoods. An attribute table provides a detailed description of each livelihood zone.