Tree Cover of Accra’s Neighbourhoods—a Green Divide

Abstract

Intra-city differences in tree cover are one way in which the urban divide physically manifests itself, adding a green component to the discussion of urban inequalities. I determined the canopy cover of Accra and its 76 neighbourhoods using the ‘dot method’ approach where random points are displayed on aerial photographs and categorised as located either on a tree or not, obtaining neighbourhood values between 0.2 and 53.6%. The average crown cover of non-poor neighbourhoods is 23.1%, continuously declining to 3.5% in areas of highest poverty. Examining historical events and processes, it can be seen that this canopy cover distribution originates from colonial tree planting patterns. Analysing these legacy effects not only aids our understanding of the present but also can help increase precision when assessing the possible impacts current laws and policies or management systems might have on our urban forest.