A Remote Sensing and GIS Framework for Evaluating urban growth and sustainable land development: Case study Gitaraga and Mumena site Village in Rwanda
Faculty of Applied Fundamental Sciences, Department of Land Survey, INES, Rwanda.
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Research Article
International Journal of Life Science Research Archive, 2026, 11(02), 032–052.
Article DOI: 10.53771/ijlsra.2026.11.2.0066
Publication history:
Received on 08September 2026; revised on 15 October 2026; accepted on 17 October 2026
Abstract:
In Rwanda, rapid urban expansion around Kigali City has increasingly transformed surrounding rural settlements into peri-urban zones, creating significant pressure on land resources, infrastructure systems, and environmental sustainability. This study assessed urban growth and sustainable land development in Gitaraga and Mumena villages located in Nyarukombe Cell, Muyumbu Sector, Rwamagana District, Rwanda, using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) techniques. Multi-temporal Landsat and Sentinel-2 satellite imagery covering the period from 2004 to 2024 were analyzed using supervised image classification, GIS spatial analysis, change detection analysis, and urban growth modelling techniques. Additional datasets including road networks, drainage infrastructure, demographic information, and field survey data were integrated into the analysis. The findings revealed that built-up areas increased from 214.5 hectares in 2004 to 673.8 hectares in 2024, representing an increase of approximately 214.1%. In contrast, agricultural land declined from 986.2 hectares to 634.4 hectares, while vegetation cover reduced from 472.6 hectares to 276.2 hectares. Urban growth was mainly concentrated along transportation corridors and accessible zones influenced by proximity to Kigali City, population growth, and infrastructure availability. The study further established that residential densification was not consistently aligned with infrastructure provision. Several newly urbanized areas experienced poor road accessibility and inadequate drainage infrastructure, leading to the emergence of infrastructure deficit zones. Urban growth modelling results projected continued expansion of built-up areas under the Business-As-Usual (BAU) scenario, with built-up land expected to reach approximately 914.6 hectares by 2035. However, planned development scenarios demonstrated that coordinated spatial planning and GIS-based land management approaches could significantly improve sustainable land development outcomes. The study concludes that Remote Sensing and GIS technologies provide effective tools for monitoring urban growth, assessing infrastructure distribution, and supporting sustainable land development planning in rapidly urbanizing peri-urban areas.
Keywords:
Remote Sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Urban Growth, Land Use and Land Cover Change, Urbanization, Spatial Analysis, Rwanda.
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