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<p>Urban trees are crucial for enhancing the social and ecological qualities of urban environments, but their distribution and correlates in informal settlements across African cities remain unclear. Here we map out 53 million individual trees across 54 African cities and investigate their relationship with neighborhood environments along a gradient of urban informality. Our findings reveal the shortage of green infrastructure per capita in the most informal neighborhoods of African cities. Under the assumptions of continued urban expansion, 28 cities are projected to lose tree cover beyond current urban boundaries by 2050. This underscores the urgent need to upgrade informal settlements, although such efforts are often constrained by current socioeconomic conditions. Our study underscores the importance of fine-grained spatial data in informing tree retention strategies during urban upgrading and expansion and emphasizes that trees and green spaces must be recognized as integral components of sustainable urban development in Africa.</p>

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Tree shortages in informal settlements across African cities

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月4日

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  • Xihong Lian,
  • Wei Liu,
  • Zejin Liu,
  • Limin Jiao,
  • Charlie M. Shackleton,
  • Bingjie Li,
  • Jing Zhong,
  • Rui Yang,
  • Mengjing Fu,
  • Haoran Zhang,
  • Neema Simon Sumari,
  • Yaolin Liu

摘要

Urban trees are crucial for enhancing the social and ecological qualities of urban environments, but their distribution and correlates in informal settlements across African cities remain unclear. Here we map out 53 million individual trees across 54 African cities and investigate their relationship with neighborhood environments along a gradient of urban informality. Our findings reveal the shortage of green infrastructure per capita in the most informal neighborhoods of African cities. Under the assumptions of continued urban expansion, 28 cities are projected to lose tree cover beyond current urban boundaries by 2050. This underscores the urgent need to upgrade informal settlements, although such efforts are often constrained by current socioeconomic conditions. Our study underscores the importance of fine-grained spatial data in informing tree retention strategies during urban upgrading and expansion and emphasizes that trees and green spaces must be recognized as integral components of sustainable urban development in Africa.