Mapping slums using spatial features in Accra, Ghana

Abstract

In order to map the spatial extent and location of slum settlements multiple methodologies have been devised including remote sensing based methods and field based methods using surveys and census data. In this study we utilize spatial, structural, and contextual features (e.g., PanTex, Histogram of Oriented Gradients, Line Support Regions, Hough transforms and others) calculated at multiple spatial scales from high spatial resolution satellite data to map slum areas and compare these estimates to three field based slum maps: one from the UN Habitat/Accra Metropolitan Assembly (UNAMA) and two census data derived maps based on the UN Habitat definition of a slum, a simple slum/non-slum dichotomy map, and a slum index map. When comparing the remotely sensed derived slum areas to the UNAMA slum definition results indicate an overall accuracy of 94.3% and a Kappa of 0.91. When compared to the dichotomous, census derived slum maps the results are not as accurate. This reduced accuracy is due to the substantial over prediction of slums, especially if only one criterion was missing, using the census data. In relation to the slum index, the remote sensing estimates of slums were significantly correlated with an r2 of 0.45 and when population density was taken into account, the correlation increased to an r2 of 0.78. Overall, the remote sensing methodology provides a reasonable estimate of slum areas and variations within the city.