Urban Expansion of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia is one of the fastest growing urban areas in Africa. The city's population growth and subsequent urban expansion have implications for everyone in the area and for groups like politicians, conservationists, urban planners, and farmers. If we can accurately predict and extrapolate the patterns of growth, leaders have the opportunity to better shape and plan the future.
I classified ASTER and SPOT multispectral imagery for the years 2001, 2006 and 2011 for the area surrounding Addis Ababa. Combining that data with images dating back to the 1990s we were able to gauge the patterns and extent of urban sprawl that had already occurred as well as quantify changes to the surrounding forest, grasslands, and agricultural fields. By adding those observed changes to other factors such as the slope of the surrounding land, existing road networks, bodies of water, and protected areas, a model was created that predicted the urban footprint to the year 2040.
Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Addis-Ababa_and_vicinities,_Ethiopia,_LandSat-5_false_color_satellite_image,_2011-01-10.jpg