Spatial expansion and patterns of land use/land cover changes around Accra, Ghana – Emerging insights from Awutu Senya East Municipal Area

For most cities in the developing world, rapid and uncontrolled expansion at their fringes is a regular feature. In many cases these rapidly growing peri-urban areas are carved out as new local government units to function separately from the expanding city. Hence, the hitherto agricultural areas are transformed into residential and other urban uses. The overall result of such dynamic spatial and socio-political processes is the rapid change in land use/land cover (LULC). In this study, we assess, measure and explain LULC changes in Accra’s western peri-urban areas with the Awutu Senya East Municipal area (ASEMA) as the spatial context. Located on the west boundary of the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), the ASEMA is affected by the rapid expansion of GAMA. Adopting GIS and Remote Sensing methods, the study analyses the rate of urban expansion and LULC changes spanning 2014–2020. The study revealed that the urbanised areas have more than doubled representing a 152% change in the urban expanse over the six-year period under investigation. While this could be attributed to the rapid growth and spill-over from GAMA, the study also reveals socio-political and economic factors contributing to rapid changes in LULC in ASEMA. Specific boundary management strategies have been proposed to control the rapid expansion around the Municipality and also help address socio-spatial conflicts over boundaries.