Impact of Climate Change on Ecotourism for Wildlife Conservation, A Case Study At Aburi Botanical Gardens, Ghana
- February 8, 2021
- Posted by: RSIS Team
- Categories: Geography, IJRSI
International Journal of Research and Scientific Innovation (IJRSI) | Volume VIII, Issue I, January 2021 | ISSN 2321–2705
J. N. Ofori1, N. A. Ohemeng-Agyei2, E. Njomaba3
1Department of Geography and Resource Development, University of Ghana. Accra, Ghana
2Dept. of Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, Wageningen University and Research
Wageningen, the Netherlands
3Laboratory of Geo-information Science and Remote Sensing, Wageningen University and Research
Wageningen, the Netherlands
Abstract: The preservation of ecotourism sites worldwide has become an issue of importance. Ghana, like other developing countries, has renowned ecotourism sites such as the Kakum National Park, Buabeng Fiema Monkey Sanctuary, and Aburi Botanical Gardens, among others. Rainfall and temperature are known to play a vital role in supporting plant growth and the survival of animal species, and these form a major part of ecotourism. The problem of anthropogenic climate change and its impacts on ecotourism has been measured in some countries except in Ghana. Capitalizing on the gaps in studies on climate change, this research was conducted to ascertain the effects of the impacts of anthropogenic climate change on ecotourism, with a specific focus on the Aburi Botanical Garden. The comparison of the garden’s potential was measured against a 30-year data using rainfall and temperature as the variables of measurement from 1989-2018. The measurements were obtained from the Ghana Meteorological Agency. Changes in minimum and maximum temperature, as well as the depreciation in rainfall amounts, were measured. Study participants included workers of the garden who expressed their observation in the trends of rainfall and temperature and how it has affected ecological tourists’ visits to the garden via researcher-administered questionnaires. The study confirmed the changes in patterns of rainfall and temperature but revealed that these changes had insignificant impacts on the garden. Thus, its ecotourism potential remains intact despite climate change. It is recommended that the garden properly maintains the standards and upgrades its systems to promote tourism.
Keywords: Ecotourism, climate change, biodiversity, anthropogenic
