Urban Growth Pattern in Western Zanzibar. Quantification and analysis using remote sensing, GIS and spatial metrics

Academic Paper from the year 2021 in the subject Geography / Earth Science - Regional Geography, grade: 100%, language: English, abstract: This research aimed at analysing and quantifying urban growth pattern of Urban-West in Zanzibar using Remote Sensing, GIS and Spatial Metrics. To achieve this goal various data were used such as Landsat images, Sentinel 2A image and Building data have been utilized. Urbanization is a phenomenon that is of major concern in both developing and developed countries. According to the census record between 1988 and 2002 there was a near-doubling of the urbanized population in Urban-West of region Zanzibar Island and continued high growth since 2002 are unprecedented in intensity, scope and impacts on the lands, particular in Urban-West. Such rapid urbanization of West district has meant that the city has doubled in areal extent. Currently there is lack of timely and quantitative information of the urban growth and its long-term impacts, thus planners haven't been able to assess and analyse consistently growth of Urban-West in Zanzibar. Keywords: GIS, Land cover, Remote sensing, spatial, Urban growth