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Africa’s urban forests in focus: New compendium highlights lessons from Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal – EnviroNews
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As African cities grapple with rising temperatures, rapid urbanisation, and worsening climate impacts, a new publication is reframing how policymakers, planners, and communities think about trees.
Urban Forests and Green Spaces in Africa: Case Studies and Lessons from Across the Continent – a collaborative work led by the International Union of Forest Research Organisations (IUFRO) and partners – offers one of the most comprehensive examinations yet of the continent’s urban forest landscapes.
Drawing on examples from West, East, Central, and Southern Africa, the compendium underscores a simple but powerful message: trees are not ornamental luxuries; they are essential urban infrastructure.
Among the most compelling contributions are the case studies from Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal, which together illustrate both the challenges and the transformative potential of urban forestry in West Africa.
Nigeria: Three Cities, Three Models of Urban Forest Governance
Nigeria’s inclusion in the compendium is particularly significant, given its rapid urban expansion and the environmental pressures facing its major cities. The publication highlights three case studies – Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt – each offering distinct lessons on governance, community engagement, and the struggle to balance development with ecological preservation.
Lagos, Africa’s largest city, presents a complex picture. With its dense population and limited land availability, the city’s green spaces are under constant threat from construction and informal settlements. Yet Lagos also demonstrates innovation.
The Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) has expanded tree‑planting campaigns, promoted roadside greening, and partnered with private developers to integrate green buffers into new estates. The compendium notes that while enforcement remains a challenge, Lagos shows how regulatory frameworks and public‑private partnerships can help reclaim green space in a megacity under pressure.
In Abuja, the story is different. Designed as a planned capital, Abuja benefits from wide boulevards, green belts, and a master plan that originally prioritised environmental aesthetics. However, the compendium reveals how urban sprawl and land‑use changes have eroded these gains.
Illegal developments in green zones and the conversion of forest reserves for housing threaten the city’s ecological balance. Still, Abuja’s case study highlights opportunities: strong federal oversight, active civil society groups, and the potential to restore degraded green belts through coordinated planning.
Port Harcourt, long associated with oil pollution and industrial activity, offers a third perspective. Here, community‑driven greening initiatives have emerged as powerful tools for environmental restoration. The compendium documents how local organisations, youth groups, and environmental activists have planted trees in polluted neighbourhoods, restored mangrove edges, and advocated for cleaner, greener public spaces. Port Harcourt’s experience shows that even in heavily industrialised cities, grassroots action can reshape urban ecological futures.
Together, the Nigerian case studies reveal a spectrum of approaches – state‑led, planned, and community‑driven – each with lessons for other African cities navigating similar pressures.
Ghana: Urban Forests as Climate Adaptation Tools
Ghana’s contribution to the compendium focuses on how urban forests are increasingly recognised as climate adaptation assets. Cities like Accra, Kumasi, and Tamale are experiencing rising temperatures, flooding, and air‑quality challenges. The publication highlights how Ghanaian planners and researchers are integrating trees into broader climate resilience strategies.
In Accra, the compendium notes the importance of protecting wetlands, riparian buffers, and peri‑urban forests that help regulate temperatures and absorb stormwater. The city’s remaining green spaces – such as the Achimota Forest and coastal mangroves – are under pressure from real estate development, yet they remain critical for flood control and biodiversity.
Kumasi, historically known as the “Garden City,” offers a contrasting narrative. Once celebrated for its lush urban canopy, Kumasi has seen significant green‑space loss due to commercial expansion and population growth. However, the compendium highlights ongoing restoration efforts led by the Forestry Commission, universities, and local assemblies. These include urban tree inventories, community tree‑planting campaigns, and the integration of green corridors into city planning.
Ghana’s case studies emphasise that urban forests are not merely aesthetic features – they are climate infrastructure, essential for cooling cities, improving air quality, and reducing disaster risks.
Senegal: Dakar’s Struggle for Green Space in a Densifying City
Senegal’s flagship case study focuses on Dakar, a city facing acute land scarcity and rapid densification. The compendium describes Dakar as a city where green spaces are shrinking under the weight of housing demand, infrastructure expansion, and coastal erosion.
Yet Dakar also demonstrates resilience. The publication highlights initiatives to restore urban parks, protect coastal vegetation, and integrate trees into public spaces such as schools, markets, and transport corridors. Community‑based organisations have played a central role, especially in neighbourhoods where formal planning structures are weak. The compendium notes that Dakar’s experience underscores the importance of local stewardship, particularly in cities where municipal resources are stretched.
Senegal’s case study also draws attention to the role of urban forests in mitigating heat stress – a growing concern as climate change intensifies. With temperatures rising across the Sahel, Dakar’s remaining trees provide critical shade and cooling, especially in low‑income communities.
A Continental Call to Action
Across all the case studies, a unifying theme emerges: urban forests are indispensable to Africa’s sustainable future. The compendium argues that trees must be treated as core infrastructure – just as essential as roads, drainage systems, and electricity grids. This perspective is echoed in commentary from African forestry experts and city officials, who stress that urban greening is not a luxury but a necessity for public health, climate resilience, and social well‑being.
The publication also highlights the need for stronger policies, better funding, and deeper community engagement. Whether in Lagos, Accra, or Dakar, the success of urban forestry initiatives depends on collaboration between governments, researchers, civil society, and residents.
As African cities continue to expand, the lessons from Nigeria, Ghana, and Senegal offer a roadmap for protecting and restoring the green spaces that make urban life healthier, cooler, and more resilient. The compendium’s message is clear: Africa’s urban future must be a greener one.