Diversity and Availability of Green Spaces in Comparison with the World Health Organization (WHO) Standard: Evidence from Sahelian Cities of Niger, West Africa

Abstract

As urban populations grow, accessible nature remains fundamental to balanced and resilient city planning. This study aims to assess public green spaces’ typology and abundance in Niamey, Maradi, Tahoua, and Zinder cities. To identify green spaces, a transect survey method was employed alongside data acquired from the municipal authorities of these studied cities. Findings revealed that Niger metropolises host 228 public green spaces distributed across eight specific types, including roadside trees (81.14%), urban woods (3.07%), the green belt (0.44%), memorial green spaces (0.88%), public gardens (1.75%), parks (1.32%), green roundabouts (2.63%), and squares (8.77%). The spatial configuration of these urban forests is overwhelmingly characterized by linear formations (81.14%). With an average area of 18.41 ha, this study highlights the predominance of small-sized public green spaces within these Sahelian cities. While 11.11% of urban forests exhibit no faunal occupancy, 38.64% of these green spaces are left unmaintained. Nevertheless, none of these studied municipalities achieved the World Health Organization’s recommended target of 10 m² of public green space per capita for optimal livability. Consequently, municipal leaders of these four largest cities must prioritize green spaces in their upcoming urban planning strategies.