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Land Cover Mapping in West Africa: A Collaborative Process

Authors :
Foster Mensah
Fatima Mushtaq
Paul Bartel
Jacob Abramowitz
Emil Cherrington
Mansour Mahamane
Bako Mamane
Amadou Moctar Dieye
Patrice Sanou
Glory Enaruvbe
Ndeye Fatou Mar
Source :
Land, Vol 13, Iss 10, p 1712 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

The availability of current land cover and land use (LCLU) information for monitoring the status of land resources has considerable value in ensuring sustainable land use planning and development. Similarly, the need to provide updated information on the extent of LCLU change in West Africa has become apparent, given the increasing demand for land resources driven by rapid population growth. Over the past decade, multiple projects have been undertaken to produce regional and national land cover maps. However, using different classification systems and legends has made updating and sharing land cover information challenging. This has resulted in the inefficient use of human and financial resources. The development of the Land Cover Meta Language (LCML) based on International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards offers an opportunity to create a standardized classification system. This system would enable easier integration of regional and national data, efficient management of information, and better resource utilization in West Africa. This article emphasizes the process and the need for multistakeholder collaboration in developing a standardized land cover classification system for West Africa, which is currently nonexistent. It presents the survey data collected to evaluate historical, current, and future land cover mapping projects in the region and provides relevant use cases as examples for operationalizing a standardized land cover classification legend for West Africa.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
2073445X
Volume :
13
Issue :
10
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Land
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.59dac488e4bbdafc1ff5a22c3dc2f
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/land13101712