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Paper short abstract:

This study examines and maps the impact of armed conflict on changes in urban land use in Goma, capital of North Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, between 2005 and 2014. It combines analysis of very high resolution satellite imagery with field work.

Paper long abstract:

Patterns and paces of urban development in countries with limited statehood and armed conflict differ decisively from urban development under peaceful circumstances in so called consolidated states. The analysis of detailed satellite imagery complemented by field research provides a micro-level view on urban land use, distribution, and change as well as their causes. This study examines the local-level impact of armed conflict by analyzing changes in urban land use in Goma, capital of North Kivu in the eastern periphery of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The observation period from 2005 to 2015 covers the third Congo War and the post-conflict era with ongoing episodes of violence. The methodological steps taken are, first, the visual analysis and change detection of very high resolution imagery from three different sensors and years, second, ground-truthing through fieldwork and, third, cartographic work for the depiction of Goma's development.

This study delves into the analysis from four different angles on how armed conflict and limited statehood have transformed the city spatially: The influences of rural-urban displacement, the presence of humanitarian NGOs, military deployment and church(es).

The study demonstrates how the analysis of satellite imagery combined with in-depth on the ground site knowledge contributes to detailed mapping of urban land use development and its causes in secondary towns.