rolandoteniya/west-africa-spatial-analysis

Geospatial analysis of population density and growth dynamics (2015-2025) across West Africa using Geopandas, Rasterio, and Zonal Statistics. Built with Python. # Spatial Dynamics of West Africa: Population Density & Growth (2015-2025) > **Geographic Data Science Project | University of Liverpool** ## 🌍 Project Overview This project provides a comprehensive geospatial analysis of population shifts across West African nations (including Nigeria, Ghana, Mali, and Niger). By integrating vector administrative boundaries with high-resolution raster population data, the study visualizes a decade of demographic change and identifies key urban growth corridors. ### **Key Discovery:** The analysis reveals a significant "Southern Shift," with population density increasing sharply toward coastal hubs like Lagos and Accra, contrasted against the environmental constraints of the Sahara-bordering regions in the north. --- ## 🛠️ Spatial Tech Stack * **Core GIS:** `Geopandas`, `Shapely` * **Raster Analysis:** `Rasterio`, `Rasterstats` (Zonal Statistics) * **Basemaps & Network Data:** `Contextily`, `OSMNX` * **Projections:** Handled coordinate reference systems (CRS) using Africa Albers Equal Area Conic (`ESRI:102022`). ## 🧪 Methodology & Technical Rigor This project goes beyond basic mapping by implementing professional-grade spatial analysis techniques: * **Projection Accuracy:** To ensure density calculations were mathematically sound, I reprojected all datasets into **Africa Albers Equal Area Conic**. This avoids the significant area distortions found in standard Mercator projections when measuring regional density. * **Zonal Statistics:** Extracted population data from high-resolution raster files and aggregated them into Level 1 administrative regions using `rasterstats`. * **Non-Linear Growth Modeling:** Categorized 10-year population growth using non-linear bins to highlight "extreme growth" regions, providing a clearer picture of rapid urbanization. * **Environmental Context:** Correlated density patterns with environmental factors, specifically the impact of the Sahara Desert on northern settlement patterns. ## 📊 Visualiz …