Urban Sprawl and the Implications on Land Cover Change in Bafoussam, Cameroon

Abstract

Spotted at the core of the Western Highlands clothed by herbaceous, shrubby and tree savanna, the Bafoussam Metroplis epitomizes urban areas with socio-economic and ecological dynamics emanating from urban expansion. Loss of Vegetation and/or ecological disturbances accounts for the most remarkable impacts on spatial Land Cover dynamics in general. As such, mapping the affected area becomes indispensable in order to evaluate the magnitude of the effects to preempt sustainable development.

Topographic maps, Aerial photographs and Satellite images have been used in this research. The use of these different methods has facilitated comparisons. Other information was canvassed through interviews; meanwhile, the Internet has equally been instrumental in this research. Findings indicate that there has been an astronomical expansion of the urban space as a result of population explosion in Bafoussam. The rising number of mouths must be fed while equally being sheltered. Meanwhile all of these have imposed increased need for farm land and building space. The resulting Land Cover shows a predominance of vegetation before 1978, a continuous drop in 1998and a great loss of land occupied by vegetation in 2018. REDD+ has been proposed as one of the alternative measures to revamp the situation and this entails sustainable management practices. It is an approach that would guarantee an ecological/Bio city that Bafoussam is supposed to be.