Prof. Opoku Pabi


An IESS Faculty Member

Associate Professor 

Professor Opoku Pabi is an Associate Professor of Environmental Science. He has a PhD, MPhil and BSc from the University of Ghana. Prior to joining the Institute, he was a practicing and research consultant. Since he joined IESS as a full-time research fellow in 2013, has also been a tutor Research Methods, Sustainability Science methodology, remote sensing and GIS, and has supervised students’ thesis research at both MPhil and PhD levels.  

Professor Pabi has engaged in several collaborative researches with partners from both local and international research institutions. He has also provided consultancy services to both local and national organizations. His strong analytical, ecological, geo-technological and complex system thinking capacities have enabled his participation in integrated studies, including the analysis and modeling of the dynamics and drivers of land use/cover, sustainability analysis of socio-ecological systems and resource exploitation,  flood disaster risk and hazard simulation, drone and satellite-based mapping,  biomass and carbon estimation and  geo-spatial decision support design. He has extensive experience in geo-spatial technology applications in research and practice. Currently, he is exploring the integration of GNN and Knowledge Graphs (KG) for the analysis and sustainability design of complex socio-environmental issues.  He has made presentations at both national and international workshops and conferences, and authored several published articles.  

Research Areas

  • Land use/cover dynamics,  drivers of change and sustainable management design
  • Sustainability analysis, assessment and design
  • Geospatial-AI  and GNN-K Graph applications
  • Climate change-linked disaster risk analysis for  adaptation, mitigation strategies and resilience
  • Integrated analysis, framing and simulated scenarios of complex socio-ecological problems for multi-pathway sustainable management and policy decisions.
  • Analysis and sustainability of socio-environmental dynamic complex systems  

Recent Publications

  1. Pabi, O., Abu, M., Atiglo, D.Y., Codjoe, S.N.A., Dovie, D.B. (2025). Population-Environment Nexus: Sustainable Management Response Options in Ghana. In: Bawah, A.A., Kwankye, S.O., Kyei, P.S. (eds) Ghana’s Demography . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-00582-3_14
  2. Ayamga J & Pabi O (2025). Land use and land cover dynamics and the associated drivers in the Volta Delta, Ghana. West African Journal of Applied Ecology, Vol  33. No 2 (….)
  3. Pabi, O. (2024) Adoption and application of earth observation and allied geoinformation systems for environmental management in Ghana. European journal of Environment and Earth Sciences, 5 (5), 16-22.
  4. Lente, I., Heve, W. K., Owusu-Twum, M. Y., Gordon, C., Pabi Opoku P., Nukpezah, D., & Thompson-Hall, M. (2024). Vulnerabilities of Smallholder Farmers' Livelihoods and Adaptations to Climate Change and Variability in Semi-Arid Northwestern Ghana: Observations and Perspectives. Sustainability and Climate Change, 17(2), 141-158.
  5. Ansah, M., Pabi O., & Ayivor, J. S. (2023). The prospect of biodiversity conservation in cocoa agroforestry landscape, Ghana. West African Journal of Applied Ecology, 31(1), 44-55.
  6. Dovie, D. B. K., & Pabi O. (2023). Partial climatic risk screening, adaptation and livelihoods in a coastal urban area in Ghana. Habitat International, 138, 102868.
  7. Lente, I., Heve, W. K., Owusu-Twum, M. Y., Gordon, C., Opoku P., Nukpezah, D., & Klutse, N. A. (2023). Nature of climate change-induced risks in semi-arid northwestern Ghana: Gauged observations, perceptions of smallholder farmers, and perspectives for livelihood adaptation. Information Development, 02666669231185323.
  8. Lente, I., Heve, W. K., Owusu-Twum, M. Y., Gordon, C., Pabi O., Nukpezah, D., & Amfo-Otu, R. (2022). Assessing levels of selected heavy metals with other pollutants in soil and water resources in Nandom District in the semi-arid northwestern Ghana. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 194(12), 919.
  9. Ofori, B. D., Pabi, O., Nukpezah, D., Annan, J., & Wang, H. C. (2022). Food system flows and distribution for the Accra metropolis: Unfolding the policy dimensions. Legon Journal of the  Humanities, 32(2), 145-169.
  10. Pabi, O., Egyir, S., & Attua, E. M. (2021). Flood hazard response to scenarios of rainfall dynamics and land use and land cover change in an urbanized river basin in Accra, Ghana. City and Environment Interactions, 12, 100075.
  11. Pabi, O., & Adu-Asare, A. (2021). Complex multispatio-periodic land use and land cover change processes, and woody resources management in a forest-Savanna Ecotone, Ghana. Trees, Forests and People, 6, 100144.
  12. Pabi, O., Adu-Asare, A., & Ofori, B. D. (2020). Linking Optical SPOT and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle data for a rapid biomass estimation in a Forest-savanna Transitional Zone of Ghana. West African Journal of Applied Ecology, 28(1), 1-20.  

Teaching Programmes

  • MPhil, Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
  • MPhil, Research Methods (including Statistics)
  • MPhil, Sustainability Science Methodology
  • PhD, Emerging Issues (Environmental Research Methods)/Environmental Management 

Recent Research Projects

  • The conceptualization and analysis of Urban land use/cover dynamics for sustainable multi-pathway management response for the cities of Accra and Kumasi/2024  

  • Sustainability of WASH systems in Bongo District, Upper East Region. WaterAID/2023  

  • Socio-economic and Environmental Diagnostic Analysis of the Lower Delta mangrove Landscape for sustainable management, Lower Volta Delta, Ghana. IUCN/2022  

  • Integrated Climate Smart Flood Management for Accra.  IDRC.CRDI./ 2016-2023
  • Access and Exclusion along the Charcoal Commodity Chain in Ghana” (AX) project. DANIDA/
  • Building Capacity to meet the Climate Change Challenge (B4C) Project at the University of Ghana (UG). OSF/2011 

  • Clearinghouse development for flood impacts within the White Volta Basin of the northern Regions of Ghana/ WRC/22011..  

  • Aquatic waterweed mapping of the Lower using Plaides satellite images WRC/ADB/. 2014   
  • Reoptimization and Reoperation study of Akosombo and Kpong Dams Project. AWF/NHI/GoG/Others /2010
  • The development of participatory GIS for Sustainable Livelihood in the rural communities of Kintampo North and South  District DFID/2007 

  • Decentralised Environmental Action Research (DEAR) project. DFID (NRSP)/2006. 

Selected Students Supervision

  1. Ishmael Lente, Co-supervisor, PhD, Vulnerability And Adaptation Of Smallholder Farmers To Changes In Agroecosystem Services And Climate In Semi-Arid Regions: The Case Of Nandom District Of Ghana  

  2. Jennifer Ayamga, Co-supervisor, PhD,  An Integrated study of climatic and non-climatic determinants of cropping system performance in the Volta Delta of Ghana  

  3. Solomon Ngashi , Co-supervisor. , PhD, Forest Cover Change And Carbon Stock Dynamics In Dry Afromontane Forest Of Ethiopia  

  4. Roland A. Apambilla, Principal Supervisor, PhD , Mapping and valuation of ecosystem services for sustainable human livelihoods and improved biodiversity conservation in Ghana using integrated  

  5. Irene Aboagye Kumi,Co-supervisor, PhD, Assessing The Adoption Of Environmental Due Diligence As A Sustainable Tool In The Real Estate Sector Of Ghana  

  6. Crystal Bubune Letsa, Co-supervisor., PhD, Population Dynamics, Land Use/Cover Change And Flood Risk In Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (Gama)  

  7. Akugre Francis Awaafo, Principal Supervisor, PhD, Sustainability Assessment Of Ghana’s Charcoal Supply Chain: The Case Of Kintampo Forest District  

  8. Emmanuel Owusu, Co-supervisor, PhD, The influence of biophysical characteristics, solid waste and its management on flood risk  among selected communities in GAMA  

  9. Ohene Asa Bosompem, Co-supervisor, PhD, Carbon Sequestration Potential In Smallholder Farm Systems Under A Changing Climate In Mid Ghana  

  10. Michael Dabi, Principal supervisor, PhD, Climate-Induced Flood Risk Management In Ghana: Utilizing Remote Sensing, Runoff Measurement, And Machine Learning  

  11. Samuel Akwasi Adarkwa, Co-supervisorisor, PhD, Modeling And Investigating The Impacts Of Air Pollution In Ghana Using Machine Learning Techniques  

  12. Prosper Adiku, Co-supervisorisor, PhD, Impacts of Climatic Drivers in the Spatio-Temporal Evolution of Diarrhea in Coastal Ghana  

  13. Eric Kofi Afornorpe, Principal Supervisor, PhD, Climate Change and Flood Risk Management in the Lower Volta Basin in Ghana 

  14. Clement S S Naabeh, PhD,  Assessment Of Ecosystem Multifunctionality In Natural And Restored Forest Landscapes In The Case Of Akim Oda Forest District, Ghana 

  15. Isaac Mensah-Essilfie, Co-supervisor, PhD, Living With Climate Change And Variability In The Estuarine Ecosystem: Perspectives Of Coastal Communities In Ghana 

  16. Euphemia Terkwor Oklah, Co-supervisor, PhD, An Assessment of Plastic and Microplastic Pollution: Environmental and Socio-Economic Implications in the Bortianor Coastal Community in Greater Accra, Ghana. 

  17. Joseph Ayitiah, Co-supervisor, PhD, 2023, Assessing social resilience of coastal, communities to climate change in Ghana: A case study of Nayaka and Mumford