Assessing the Reliability of Satellite-Derived Burned Area Products and Indices across the Burning Season 2024/25 in Tamale, Northern Ghana.

Abstract

Sub-Saharan Africa’s ecosystems are significantly shaped by natural fires. However, traditional agricultural and livestock practices have led to a rise in uncontrolled, human-caused fires, which severely impact the region’s ecological and economic development. Remote sensing is critical for monitoring the effectiveness of strategies that address traditional burning methods. The quality of burned area detection in the Tamale region of Northern Ghana was assessed in this work. Existing global burned area products were compared with a combination-product, and a 30m resolution burned area index-map was created using common indices. Calculations were performed monthly based on Sentinel-2 data throughout the 2024/25 burning season. The resulting combined product corresponds with the general movement of wind systems during this period. In contrast, the index-calculation map reveals more specific details, likely related to how different land cover types influence the movement of burned areas.