Urbanization has become one of the most significant drivers of terrestrial ecosystem degradation in coastal cities of West Africa, yet limited research has quantified its consequences for ecosystem service values (ESVs). This study presents a spatio-temporal (1991–2023) assessment of land use and land cover (LULC) change impact on ESVs in Sekondi-Takoradi, Ghana. Using Landsat imagery and ecosystem valuation coefficients, we quantified changes in ecological benefits and evaluated their sensitivity through elasticity analysis. The findings revealed substantial vegetation loss (-6,048.9 ha) and modest reductions in water resources (-37.44 ha), offset by significant expansion of built-up areas (+ 5,813.64 ha) between 1991 and 2023. These transformations caused a net ESV decline of USD 12.46 million. The reduction in vegetative cover primarily weakened regulating and supporting services, while the decline in water bodies reduced provisioning and cultural services such as water supply and recreation. Coefficient Sensitivity (CS) analysis confirmed that ESVs were highly dependent on vegetation (CS ≈ 0.95–0.97) but less sensitive to water (CS ≈ 0.03–0.05), highlighting the dominant role of vegetation in maintaining ecological stability. These results imply that spatial plans should prioritize protecting remaining high-ESV vegetation through green-belt designation and connected green-corridor zoning, alongside restoration and enforcement of wetland and riparian buffers. Embedding ESV screening in structure plans, development permitting, and environmental impact assessments can help steer expansion toward lower-value areas and strengthen coastal governance.
Biney et al. (Sun,) studied this question.