Monitoring responses of terrestrial ecosystem to climate variations using multi temporal remote sensing data in Ghana

Agriculture in both industrialized and developing countries is a unique sector, characterized by complex issues and problems, ranging from macro (economic) policy levels all the way to the micro (smallholder) farming household and field plot levels. Agriculture, being predominantly a (small-scale) family and/or communal enterprise differs in fundamental ways from administrative services and industrial sectors in terms of relative unpredictability, uncertainty and variability in geo-physical (soil and weather) conditions on which the primary production processes rely. Also, there is a huge diversity in production strategies and objectives among farming households as well as household individuals. Agriculture in Africa is mainly seasonal and faces high levels of risks, which are in-turn compounded by poor infrastructure and isolated rural communities [1]. Fluctuating market and trade conditions, as well as political instability further add to farmer uncertainty. Agriculture therefore, faces rather unique problems with respect to research and development including the planning, implementation and evaluation processes that are involved as well as the assessments of impacts at various levels [2].