DOI: 10.11648/j.ajep.20261505.12 ISSN: 2328-5699

Cartographic Analysis of the Spatial Changes in the Tourist Resort of Saly (Senegal) Between 1988 and 2024

Moctar Badji, Hyacinthe Sambou, Cheikh Mbow, Fode Drame
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The creation of the seaside resort of Saly in Senegal in 1984 marked the beginning of a transition from a village to an urban center. However, the development of a designated area is often marked by a context of urban transformation and expansion, giving rise to various territorial and societal challenges. Hence, the objective of this study is to assess the spatial dynamics of the Saly tourist resort between 1988 and 2024. The methodological approach was based on the analysis of satellite imagery and the application of remote sensing techniques, notably the NDBI index and the calculation of the average annual growth rate of spatial units. The results revealed that from 1988 to 2002), the built-up area increased significantly (from 38 to 534 ha), while agricultural land (from 963 to 613 ha), bare land (from 315 to 78 ha), and beaches (from 67 to 52 ha) declined. Between 2002 and 2014, built-up areas increased (from 534 to 903 ha), followed by a decrease in vegetation (from 421 to 349 ha) and agricultural land (from 613 to 345 ha). During the period from 2014 to 2024, built-up areas saw a slight increase (from 903 to 950 ha) and a shift in trends regarding vegetation (from 349 to 460 ha) and open land (from 64 to 235 ha), while agricultural land (from 345 to 13 ha) and beaches (from 47 to 44 ha) decreased further. These trends show that 86.29% of the territory underwent land-use conversion, compared with 13.71% that remained stable over these 36 years. The built-up area shows an estimated average annual growth rate of 9.4%, while vegetation increased slightly by 0.99%. In contrast, agricultural land declined by 11.20%, as did beaches and bare ground, which decreased by 1.31% and 0.82%, respectively. These trends reflect three phases of spatial dynamics: rapid expansion (1988-2002), consolidation (2002-2014), and spatial restructuring (2014-2024). Analysis of the NDBI index from 1988 shows values ranging from generally low to slightly negative (-0.42 and 0.02) to a higher value (0.21) in 2024. Spatial dynamics reveal rapid urbanization in Saly, requiring sustainable land-use policies that take natural areas into account and continuous monitoring of land use to better manage urban growth.

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