Urban green spaces and their contribution to the resilience of the big cities in West Africa: Case of Niamey, Niger

Abstract

In recent decades, cities in West Africa are becoming large due to the high population growth rate. This urbanization is accompanied by the transformation of the environmental and social conditions affecting the dwellers‟ livelihoods and well-being, thereby making them more vulnerable to climate change. Thus, this study attempts to investigate the contribution of urban green spaces to climate resilience in Niamey City as the case of the big West African cities. Specifically, it aims to: i) Analyze urban green spaces accessibility: the current state in Niamey city; ii) Analyze the determinants of the urban green spaces management practices in Niamey city; and iii) Assess the contribution of the urban green spaces to the climate resilience in Niamey city. For that, the qualitative and quantitative methods were applied to the primary and secondary data. The qualitative relies on semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and personal observations, while the quantitative relies on the primary data from the survey (390 respondents), geospatial data, and secondary data. For the first specific objective, the green index per capita, proximity to green spaces indicator, and qualitative indicators such as safety, comfort, attractiveness, and maintenance were used. For the second objective, the multinomial logistic model was used; and the partial proportional odds model for the last objective. The results showed that despite the urban green spaces are not currently in good condition with the accessibility of 6.04 m2 per capita, they contribute significantly to the respondents‟ climate resilience. Thus, the respondents close to the green spaces are more likely to be climate resilient. In addition, the respondents who perceive the regulating and cultural services are more likely to be climate resilient than those who perceive the provisioning services. This performance is attributed to the urban green space management practiced by the respondents, which is influenced significantly by shade as the benefits they get from urban green spaces. In light of the results, this study suggests promoting projects that aim to develop urban green areas across the city to make them more accessible to dwellers, thereby increasing their climate resilience.