Exploring key drivers of forest fires in the Mole National Park of Ghana using geospatial tools

Ghana's forest and wildlife reserves are depleting at an alarming rate and hence, the Mole National Park which is considered the oldest and largest wildlife protected area in Ghana is no exception. Bush fires are a major contributor to this menace. Fire hotspot prediction and mapping using satellite data provides a better alternative to monitoring and addressing wildfires compared to the observation of smoke emission which is the conventional tool used to detect forest fires in most parts of the country. This study sought to probe into fire incidences within the park using geospatial tools with an emphasis on climatic variables and anthropogenic activities as drivers. The research shows a weak positive correlation for fire counts to climatic variables (temperature and precipitation), giving credence to human-induced factors as majorly responsible while climatic conditions serve as a background catalyst to these fire incidences. Forest fire counts and their associated burnt area statistics between 2002 and 2019 are also presented. To reduce human-induced forest fires, this study recommends several interventions to help manage the challenge of wildfires at the reserve while highlighting the essential role of GIS and remote-sensing tools in monitoring and managing wildfires within protected areas.