Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Green Infrastructure along the Urban-Rural Gradient of the Cities of Bujumbura, Kinshasa and Lubumbashi
Henri Kabanyegeye,
Nadège Cizungu Cirezi,
Héritier Khoji Muteya,
Didier Mbarushimana,
Léa Mukubu Pika,
Waselin Salomon,
Yannick Useni Sikuzani,
Kouagou Raoul Sambieni,
Tatien Masharabu,
Jan Bogaert
Affiliations
Henri Kabanyegeye
Research Centre of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Burundi, Bujumbura P.O. Box 2700, Burundi
Nadège Cizungu Cirezi
Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
Héritier Khoji Muteya
Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
Didier Mbarushimana
Burundian Office for Environmental Protection, Bujumbura P.O. Box 2757, Burundi
Léa Mukubu Pika
Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
Waselin Salomon
Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
Yannick Useni Sikuzani
Ecology, Ecological Restoration and landscape Research Unit, Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Lubumbashi, Lubumbashi P.O. Box 1825, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kouagou Raoul Sambieni
Post-University Regional School of Integrated Planning and Management of Tropical Forests and Territories (ERAIFT), University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa BP 15373, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Tatien Masharabu
Research Centre of Natural and Environmental Sciences, University of Burundi, Bujumbura P.O. Box 2700, Burundi
Jan Bogaert
Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, Passage des Déportés 2, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
This study analyses the dynamics of green infrastructure (GI) in the cities of Bujumbura, Kinshasa, and Lubumbashi. A remote sensing approach, combined with landscape ecology metrics, characterized this analysis, which was based on three Landsat images acquired in 2000, 2013, and 2022 for each city. Spatial pattern indices reveal that GI was suppressed in Bujumbura and Kinshasa, in contrast to Lubumbashi, which exhibited fragmentation. Furthermore, the values of stability, aggregation, and fractal dimension metrics suggest that Bujumbura experienced rather intense dynamics and a reduction in the continuity of its GI, while Kinshasa showed weaker dynamics and tendencies towards patch aggregation during the study period. In contrast, Lubumbashi exhibited strong dynamics and aggregation of its GI within a context of significant anthropization. The evolution of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index demonstrates a sawtooth pattern in the evolution of tall vegetation patches in Bujumbura, compared to a gradual decrease in Kinshasa and Lubumbashi. It is recommended that urban growth in these cities should be carefully planned to ensure the integration of sufficient GI.
