The West Africa region faces a growing threat from land degradation and climate change, both of which are deeply interconnected. The region is highly vulnerable due to its dependence on rain-fed agriculture, rapid population growth, and fragile ecosystems such as the Sahel. This paper assesses land degradation and deforestation in West African lands, emphasizing the urgent need for sustainable agricultural development. The paper also discusses the role of human activities, such as deforestation, in exacerbating these issues. The study utilizes moderate resolution images spectrophotometer (MODIS) imagery processing techniques and spatial distribution in remote sensing (RS) and geographic information systems (GIS) environment based on Google Earth Engine (GEE) as a computing cloud to evaluate land degradation levels, incorporating various environmental variables such as precipitation, elevation, and soil properties Landcover changes of the investigated area, West Africa, were extracted using MODIS data over four time series (2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020). Results showed that the many regions of West Africa are seeing significant changes in land-cover at spatial and temporal scales as a result of human activity and climate variability, and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) for studied area over four times (2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020) which created using MODIS data, is classified into none, low, and moderate vegetation cover in addition to the findings reveal that land degradation processes can be categorized into physical, chemical, and biological degradation, each contributing to the decline in soil health and agricultural output. The analysis indicates that understanding land cover dynamics over time is essential for identifying rapidly changing regions, which could be targeted for future conservation efforts. The study underscores that a thorough understanding of land degradation requires investigating the mechanisms behind vegetation changes and the interactions within human-environmental systems. Furthermore, it underscores the importance of understanding coupled-environmental systems to effectively address land degradation and enhance ecosystem services. The study concludes with recommendations for integrated land management strategies that promote restoration and sustainability in West Africa’s agricultural landscapes.