RS and GIS application to underscore changes in land use/cover in Conakry and its two surrounding cities

Research findings into recent changes in the natural environment and land use/cover change in many parts of Africa have been well documented. This research had the aim of investigating such changes in a less studied part of Africa, a small section of western coastal Guinea. Topographic map and ETM+ image processing, interpretation and GIS overlay method were used to make comparisons over time. Quantifiable and significant changes in the nature of and the extent of the land use/cover were found to have occurred. The results of this research also showed a steep growth in the cities and urban areas of this region. Similar research of other parts of Guinea may yield comparable findings. In such a case this may well encourage the Guinea government in cooperation with both the scientific community and local communities to set up urgent and practical policies for the management of land use/cover in this region.