Land use change in Stellenbosch and its environs between 1994 and 2004

Date
2007-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Land use change in urban environments has created an urgent need for updated maps, both for cities and metropolitan areas in South Africa. In Stellenbosch in particular, there is concern that the ruralurban fringe is threatened by urban development. Stellenbosch Square, Bosman's Crossing, new residential construction in Welgevonden and the planned Paradyskloof golf estate on the slopes of Stellenbosch Mountain indicate that the degree of land use change is unprecedented. These changes in the urban envirom11ent foster the need to examine land use transformation in Stellenbosch and the surrounding area. A land use database for 2004 was generated and compared with the existing 1994 dataset. The 2004 land use dataset was developed by mapping the 2001 digital 01ihophoto imagery and updated through extensive field observations. The land use Kappa Index of Agreement (KIA) was calculated in IDRISI's GIS analysis cross-tabulation module which permitted the comparison of twodate grids of 100 X 1 OOm resolution. This research found that urban growth through residential and commercial development threatens farmland and the natural environment that lie in the rural-urban fringe. The land use areas for agriculture, urban development, commerce, infonnal settlements and open land categ01y shows that changes took place from 1994 and 2004. Notable land use changes during the period 1994 to 2004 were found in annual agriculture, rural institutional, rural industry, recreation, forestry and open land/veld that decreased by 32.5 per cent, 6 per cent, 34.3 per cent, 25.4 per cent, 16.2 per cent and 6.4 per cent, respectively. In contrast, perennial agriculture, industrial agriculture, formal urban development, informal settlements, rural commerce and hotels and extraction increased by 14.2 per cent, 191.3 per cent, 7.8 per cent, 566.7 per cent, 140 per cent and 100.80 per cent, respectively. Practically speaking, the areas of rural institutional and rural industry were stable within these two dates although the computation of area shows that changes took place in these categories. At the same time, the recreational areas actually increased from 1994 to 2004. The urban area and infom1al settlements developed rapidly during the decade at the expense of the natural environment and agricultural areas. This study detem1ined that the proposed future urban growth sites will be located in the sensitive natural environments. The overall KIA of land use change in Stellenbosch and its environs is 0.74 indicating that the two date's images are not completely different although land use changes took place from 1994 to 2004. This study has updated the land use database developed in the past and gives a good indication of land use dynamics. Hopefully, this research will aid future urban land use planning and decision-making with regard to sustainable land resource management and also contribute to the field of global environmental change.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Grondgebruikverandering in stedelike omgewings het 'n dringende behoefte aan opgedateerde grondgebruik-kaarte van stede sowel as metropolitaanse gebiede in Suid-Afrika laat ontstaan. Veral in Stellenbosch is daar kommer dat die landelike-stedelike oorgangsgebied deur stedelike ontwikkeling bedreig word. Stellenbosch Square, Bosman's Crossing, nuwe residensiele uitbreidings in Welgevonden en die beplande Paradyskloof-gholflandgoed teen die hange van Stellenboschberg dui op 'n ongeewenaarde mate van grondgebruikverandering. Hierdie veranderinge in die stedelike omgewing noodsaak die ondersoek van grondgebruiktransformasie in Stellenbosch en omstreke. 'n Grondgebruikdatabasis vir 2004 is opgestel en met die bestaande 1994-datastel vergelyk. Die 2004- grondgebruikdatastel is ontwikkel deur gebruikmaking van die kartering van die digitale ortofotobeeld van 2001 en by wyse van uitvoerige veldwaarnemings bygewerk. Die Kappa Indeks van Ooreenkoms (KIO) ten opsigte van grondgebruik is in IDRIS! se GIS-analise kruistabelleringsmodule bereken, wat die vergelyking van twee-datum-ruitnette van 100 x 1 OOm-resolusie moontlik gemaak het. Hierdie navorsing het bevind dat stedelikegroei as gevolg van residensiele en kommersiele ontwikkeling 'n bedreiging vir plaasgrond en die natuurlike omgewing wat in die landelike-stedelike oorgangsgebied le, inhou. Die grondgebruikgebiede vir landbou, stedelike ontwikkeling, handel, informele nedersettings en die opegrondkategorie toon daarop dat daar tussen 1994 en 2004 veranderinge plaasgevind het. Beduidende grondgebruikveranderinge in die tydperk 1994 tot 2004 is waargeneem ten opsigte van standhoudende landbou, landelike-institusionele ontwikkeling, ontspanning, bosbou, en oop grond/veld wat met 32.5 persent, 6 persent, 34.3 persent, 25.4 persent, 16.2 persent en 6.4 persent onderskeidelik afgeneem het. Daarteenoor het landbou van mee~jarige gewasse, industriele landbou, formele stedelike ontwikkeling, infonnele nedersettings, landelike handel, hotelle en die ekstraksiebedryfmet 14.2 persent, 191.3 persent, 7.8 persent, 566.7 persent, 140 persent en 100.80 persent onderskeidelik toegeneem. Vir alle doeleindes was die gebiede van landelik-institusionele ontwikkeling en landelike nywerhede tussen hierdie twee datums stabiel alhoewel die gebiedsbepaling aantoon dat daar veranderinge in hierdie kategoriee plaasgevind het. Terselfdertyd het die oppervlakte vir ontspanningsgebiede in werklikheid van 1994 na 2004 toegeneem. Die stedelike gebied en infom1ele nedersettings het gedurende die dekade vi1mig ontwikkel ten koste van die natuurlike omgewing en landbougebiede. Tydens hierdie studie is vasgestel dat die voorgestelde toekomstige stedelike groeigebiede in die sensitiewe natuurlike omgewings gelee sal wees. Die oorhoofse KIO van grondgebruikverandering in Stellenbosch en omgewing, soos rekenaarmatig bereken, is 'n bevredigende 0. 74, met 'n beduidende verskil tussen 1994 en 2004. Hierdie studie het die grondgebruikdatabasis wat in die verlede opgestel is, bygewerk en gee 'n goeie aanduiding van die grondgebruikdinamika. Hopelik sal hierdie navorsing van nut wees tydens toekomstige beplanning van en besluitneming oor stedelike grondgebruik met betrekking tot volhoubare grondhulpbronbestuur en ook 'n bydrae lewer op die gebied van globale omgewingsverandering.
Description
Thesis (MA) -- University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
Keywords
Land use, Rural -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Region, Land use, Urban -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch, Cities and towns -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch -- Growth, Land use mapping -- South Africa -- Stellenbosch Region, Dissertations -- Geography and environmental studies
Citation