Urban Sprawl and Environmental Impacts on the Outskirts of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Abstract

The contemporary period has been mainly characterized by urbanization. Given its growing size, it exacerbates environmental degradation in surrounding cities and towns. This degradation manifests itself in various ways, which are the topic of the study's findings. This study is part of a framework for analyzing the environmental impacts resulting from the sprawl of the city of Ouagadougou. The methodology is based on an approach combining both quantitative and qualitative methods. Work carried out through documentary research, field observation, surveys and diachronic analysis made it possible to identify environmental impacts. ENVI and ARCGIS software were used for diachronic analysis and mapping, SPSS and Excel for data analysis and processing. Thus, it emerges from the study that the sprawl of the city of Ouagadougou has led to an increase in production as well as poor waste management (liquid and solid). These factors cause environmental pollution resulting in air pollution and water retention. Diachronic analysis revealed the degradation of the vegetation cover. The results of the study show that 85.21 % of respondents have noted the degradation of the vegetation cover over the last twenty years. According to 94.10 % of the interviewees, environmental degradation is linked to the urban sprawl of Ouagadougou. Added to this are changes in landforms and flooding. These results of the study provide planning assistance for urban planners, environmentalists, and policymakers.