Investigation of the impact of urban sprawl in three Sahelian cities using remotely-sensed information

Rapid urban growth and the environmental, social and political consequences are major issues in Africa, especially in the major Sahelian cities. Using remote sensing technologies, it has been established that between 1980-2000, the rate of urbanization more than doubled in the capital city of Burkina Faso (118% increase) and nearly doubled in capitals of Mali (62%) and Niger (63% increase). There has been a drastic conversion of vegetated and open lands to urban and residential use. Population in these cities also grew significantly, clearly outpacing the overall population growth of the countries. Data obtained is useful in policy issues related to sustainable urban planning and also serves as input into urban growth to predict patterns of future urban expansion.