The integration of trees within urban environments yields substantial environmental, social, and economic benefits. Their strategic presence proves instrumental in mitigating adverse climate change effects through the provision of shade coverage, atmospheric purification, and enhancement of urban spatial comfort. Historically venerated as divine manifestations and acknowledged as universal safeguards, trees have evolved to become integral elements of contemporary urban landscapes, seamlessly integrating with architectural frameworks across parks, gardens, and residential districts.
Within urban contexts, trees fundamentally shape the panoramic vista of diverse architectural compositions and structural configurations, encompassing parks, gardens, street alignments, residential zones, industrial sectors, and beyond. However, municipalities face considerable challenges regarding urban forestry initiatives, primarily due to accelerated urbanization and extensive infrastructure development, resulting in substantial diminution of vegetation coverage and natural resource depletion. As epicenters of economic activity, urban areas are frequently identified as primary contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. According to UN-Habitat analytics, urban centers account for 78% of global energy consumption and generate in excess of 60% of greenhouse gas emissions, while occupying less than 2% of the Earth's surface area. Paradoxically, the ramifications of climate change manifest most severely in economically disadvantaged and marginalized urban districts, thereby subjecting vulnerable urban populations to heightened adverse effects. Nevertheless, urban environments present numerous opportunities for the development and implementation of novel policies and programs aimed at climate change mitigation. For instance, the promotion, preservation, and expansion of urban forests may present greater political feasibility than international initiatives. Such urban forestry programs yield immediate tangible benefits, including energy conservation and public health enhancement.
Consequently, the acquisition and analysis of data regarding tree cover density in expanding urban centers proves essential for evaluating their capacity to promote resident well-being and facilitate necessary adjustments. The systematic monitoring of urban vegetation evolution has become increasingly crucial for directing sustainable development initiatives and ensuring population welfare. Remote sensing methodologies and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) present particularly efficacious mechanisms for observing and acquiring data in terrains characterized by limited accessibility or inherent hazards.
These technological solutions facilitate the monitoring of vegetation status evolution through satellite imagery analysis. Given their extensive spatial coverage and elevated frequency relative to aerial photography, satellite imagery constitutes preferential data for identifying status variations within specified geographical parameters.
The present study focuses on the municipality of Abomey-Calavi and endeavors to utilize empirical evidence regarding urban forestry potential and deficits to inform and guide municipal council initiatives in urban forestry development. This research initiative is situated within the broader framework of the "Renaturation of Abomey-Calavi: Towards a Nourishing and Biodiversified Urban Environment" project.
This initiative operates under the aegis of the Abomey-Calavi Municipality and the Departmental Directorate of the Ministry of Living Environment and Transport, specifically the division responsible for Sustainable Development of the Atlantic region. Implementation is executed by ACED, with both technical and financial support provided through the Small Initiatives Program (PPI) of the French committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).